Product Placement
by Harmonious Arkos Sloth
Summary: What does a team leader do? A team leader provides. Between their new line of toys, Jaune finally discovering his semblance, and Pyrrha's battle with the Great Enemy, it's just another average school day. Look out Remnant, Team JNPR's ready to set the world ablaze!
1. Chapter 1

It was an average Saturday morning for Team JNPR. Ren was in the kitchen making their usual weekend breakfast of pancakes. Colored pencils surrounded Nora, who lay on her bed furiously scribbling detailed plans for upgrades to Magnhild and cackling maniacally.

Most of these upgrades consisted different colored "Death Beams" that caused Grimm to explode.

Jaune was putting the final addition on his essay that was due for History class tomorrow. He was determined to ace this assignment if it killed him. He really needed to bring up his History grade, to help compensate for his lackluster combat scores.

And Pyrrha?

Pyrrha was currently curled in her bed, cocooned in the combined blankets of both her and Jaune's beds, and snuggling into the Pumpkin Pete hoodie she had "liberated" from his bedpost. The Mistralian native fought a shiver as she wrapped her cocoon tighter around herself.

Jaune finished the final paragraph of his essay and turned from the shared team study desk to check on his partner as he stretched. Jaune had to stifle a laugh as he gazed at the shivering mass of blankets. He could just see the top of his hoodie peeking out.

' _She looks like Remnant's most adorable burrito,'_ Jaune thought as Ren chose that moment to arrive from the kitchen bearing a plate laden with pancakes for Nora.

Jaune nodded his thanks to their resident pancake chef as he went into the kitchen, retrieving his and Pyrrha's shares of breakfast. Carefully balancing the stacks of pancakes on each plate, Jaune made his way to Pyrrha's "Burrito of Fluffitude" and gently set their breakfasts down on their shared nightstand.

JNPR's leader sat on his own bed across from the cocoon, waiting for the pancakes to do their work. A few red leaves blew by outside as the wind picked up, a rarity amongst the still mostly green foliage. One even stuck to their dorm window. Jaune smiled at the sight. Autumn was almost upon them.

Eventually, his patience was rewarded.

Slowly, like a groundhog emerging to check for its shadow, Pyrrha's hoodie-clad head peeked out from her blanket fortress. She turned toward the scent of the pancakes, blinking lethargically as she began to focus.

Moving cautiously, so that he wouldn't spook her back into her cocoon, Jaune picked up the plate of plain buckwheat pancakes and held it out toward his partner.

Her eyes regained some of their usual brightness as they focused on the offered food. She took the offered plate from her partner with a murmured "Thanks," as she speared a bite of pancakes with her fork and chewed slowly.

Once finished, she set the plate back down on their nightstand, and emerged from her cocoon like Remnant's most reluctant butterfly. She was dressed in sweatpants and a long-sleeved sleep shirt under Jaune's hoodie. Thick socks adorned her feet. Despite this, she still wrapped a piece of her former blanket burrito around herself like a cloak as she shuffled to the bathroom.

Pyrrha muttered something that vaguely sounded like "Good morning," to Nora who paused her drawing long enough to offer a cheerful wave, and gave a nod to Ren as she made her way to the bathroom she shared with Nora.

When the door shut with a ' _click'_ Jaune let out a frustrated sigh as he finally allowed himself to begin eating.

He was becoming rather concerned about Pyrrha lately. Granted, as team leader, the well-being of his team was something he always considered. However, this was the first time any of them had given him cause to actively _worry._

Jaune's skills in combat were mediocre at best. He was quirky, socially awkward, and prone to bouts of macho foolishness. However, if there was one thing the Arc scion knew he had going for him, it was his ability to read his team.

He had noticed the change as soon as the season began to turn. When the temperature began to drop, so too did Pyrrha's mood. She was still polite to a fault, undefeated in Combat Class, maintained excellent grades, and still somehow found the time to teach him not to stab himself with his sword.

However, she was becoming increasingly reluctant to leave her bed in the morning. His partner had never been a morning person, despite how early she rose, but it was taking her even longer than usual to get the usual spark of alertness in her gaze. Even Ren seemed to have more energy than her lately, and he was practically a human sloth!

The knight let out another frustrated huff, as he continued to fret.

 **XXX**

Pyrrha breathed a sigh of contentment as she wrapped a towel around her hair.

As the weather got colder, it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to feel even the least bit energetic. Growing up in the tropical kingdom of Mistral, Pyrrha was very used to bright sunshine, high humidity, and temperatures that rivaled the desert kingdom of Vacuo.

She truly enjoyed Vale, and did not regret her decision to attend Beacon at all. However, The Invincible Girl was finding herself wholly unprepared for temperatures below the mid 80's. The cool air, and less humid climate was drying out her hair and skin terribly. She had even resorted to importing a designer skin moisturizer and olive oil to keep her hair from drying out.

Waking up to an increasingly cold room without the familiar warmth of the sun on her skin to energize her for the day was making it rather difficult to focus in class. She wasn't sleeping very well, either. She doubted she would be able to sleep at all without all the extra blankets on her bed.

She had never been more grateful for her partner insisting they set aside closet space for "linens".

Of course, she was also growing very attached to her partner's trademark hoodie. She was sure to return it each morning, but really that was just so she could wear it at night and be surrounded by the warmth it provided as well as the soothing scent of her team leader. It filled her body with a delicious heat all on its own.

' _Perhaps I could get him more hoodies?'_ Pyrrha mused as she applied moisturizer to her face, _'then I can use the combined hoodies as another layer of blankets!'_

The Champion took a moment to smile at her ingenious plan. She never thought she would be grateful for accepting that Pumpkin Pete's contract.

Her increasing need for warmth to feel energized did make her wonder though…

' _Perhaps those girls at Sanctum were right and I'm part reptile Faunus?'_ the redhead thought, missing the negative connotations of such a label, ' _I believe I would be a most talented dragon.'_

Pyrrha had to stifle her giggles at the mental image of flying around as a great dragon, scales the color of her combat armor, as she used her semblance for combat on a grander scale.

It was a most amusing thought.

When she finally exited the bathroom, dressed in casual clothes for the day, she was greeted by the chime of her scroll that signified a text message.

Jaune wordlessly handed it to her from their nightstand as he got up to wash their breakfast dishes. Pyrrha sent him a grateful smile as she read the message.

 **Father:** _I've arranged a meeting for you with some representatives of the_ BodyFIT _company. You will be the model mascot for their new campaign to make children more aware of the importance of fitness. This could be a very lucrative deal for us. Dress in combat gear and bring your weapons._

Pyrrha sighed as she realized that her Saturday of being able to relax with her team was now effectively ruined. She wasn't surprised anymore, really. Her father was always her manager first and her father a distant second; he always seemed more concerned with how much lien she could make than her own happiness.

Jaune noticed her irritated expression as soon as he came back from cleaning the kitchen.

"Bad news, Pyr?" the knight queried as he grabbed Nora and Ren's dirty dishes.

His partner let out another aggrieved sigh as she sent a brief reply to her manager, and turned to address her team. "I'm afraid so, everyone. My manager has arranged for me to meet with a well-known health and wellness company for a potential mascot opportunity. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go with you to see the new Laird Newsan movie, after all."

Nora gave a whimper of distress, latching herself onto Pyrrha's arm and staring at her best female friend. Her eyes were shining with repressed tears and her lips trembled.

"But Pyrrha~!" Nora wailed, shaking the girl's arm violently, "You have to go! We've been planning this trip all week! Don't you want to see Laird Newsan get his daughter back?"

The hammer wielder proved how devious she could be by using her position to lean close to whisper in Pyrrha's ear, unnoticed by the guys. "Plus, you know how chilly movie theaters can be. You may just have to snuggle with Jaune-y for warmth~!"

Pyrrha valiantly controlled her blush at the thought of being able to openly snuggle her crush while simultaneously lamenting the missed opportunity.

"Could we go with you?" Jaune asked as he took over wiping down their dining table so that Ren could unlatch Nora from his partner, "I've always been curious to see what goes into the modeling process for these kinds of things."

Ren had finally detached Nora, who promptly scrambled onto his back and wrapped her arms and legs around his torso like a territorial koala, when he decided to chime in. "I would enjoy the chance to talk with some of their nutrition experts about the benefits of green smoothies."

Nora just giggled from her Ren perch. "I wanna see if they'll let me test some of their exercise equipment! They say on TV all the time how it can give you a great workout and burn lots of calories! I gotta know if it's true!"

Pyrrha opened her mouth to correct her teammate's misconceptions, having tested some of that equipment in the past and finding the workouts barely more than a warmup, when a thought struck her.

' _They want to change their plans just because I can't go with them.'_ Pyrrha was immensely touched by the thoughtfulness of her friends. On the heels of that thought however, were visions of all the potential chaos her team could get into in such an environment.

JNPR's celebrity smirked as she considered the idea. ' _That will teach my manager to interrupt my weekend free time!'_ she thought as she focused on all the chances she was missing to cuddle her partner in a dark movie theatre.

Let it never be said that Pyrrha Nikos was not capable of revenge.

"Okay, everyone, get changed into your combat gear and grab your weapons~!" Pyrrha caroled, smiling brightly at her team, "We're going on a field trip!"


	2. Chapter 2

When the team arrived, they all took a moment to stop and stare. The building was rather large by Vale's architectural standards, a six-story structure that contained a lot of glass. It gleamed brightly in the direct sunlight.

Jaune held the door for everyone as they entered and smiled pleasantly at the receptionist as he joined his team. Her smile and tone were completely professional as she greeted them, though her gaze seemed to linger on Jaune a breath longer than necessary.

Pyrrha immediately stepped in, public persona firmly in place. "Hello, my name is Pyrrha Nikos. I believe I'm scheduled for an appointment."

The woman's gaze immediately snapped to her. "Of course, Ms. Nikos! I'll notify them to have someone down to see you immediately! I apologize for the inconvenience!"

Pyrrha smiled her wide public smile, wielding courtesy as potently as she did Milo. "It's not a problem. Thank you for your help."

The teens weren't waiting long before the ' _ding'_ of an elevator announced the arrival of a man dressed in a very nice suit. His plain glasses gave his bland face a pinched look that combined with his business cut hairstyle and pale complexion to make him look like the textbook definition of a lawyer. Or perhaps a vampire.

"Greetings, Ms. Nikos! Your father mentioned you would be stopping by today!" the man pontificated, tone oily and just short of condescending, "My name is Jacob Pearl, and I'm here to escort you to meet with some representatives from our board of directors so you can look over and sign the contract your father mentioned."

The Champion of Mistral once again displayed her proficiency with weaponized politeness. "Of course, Mr. Pearl, and may I introduce my teammates: Ren, Nora and Jaune," the redhead stated, gesturing to each of them in turn.

The man blinked slowly, as if just now realizing that there were other people around Pyrrha. His expression became even more pinched, but he strove to maintain his professionalism. "Ah yes, and will your…team be joining us today?" the lawyer's tone suggested that he dearly hoped that was not the case.

Nora giggled as she proclaimed loudly "I want to lift all the weights!"

Ren sighed, as he gently placed a hand on his partner's shoulder to keep her from running off in search of exercise equipment. "I was hoping to discuss the health benefits of green smoothies with some of your experts."

Pyrrha gave the man one of her most winning public smiles, tone pitched as polite and innocent as she could manage as she calmly asked "Is there any way you could give my team directions to where they want to go? I'm sure it would be easier if we didn't have to fit so many people in one room. And I'm certain that our business will go that much smoother."

Jaune gave a firm nod of agreement, as Ren kept a tight hold on Nora to keep her from dashing off in a random direction in search of weights.

The lawyer's expression relaxed slightly once he realized that he would not be responsible for four teens at least. "If you take an elevator to the third floor, you will find the equipment many of our BodyFIT coaches and extras use when they aren't filming another workout program." The ' _away from me'_ was left unstated but very clear.

Nora grabbed hold of Ren's hand, humming to herself as she practically skipped to the elevator. Ren merely sighed again as Nora pulled him along.

As she watched the two of them leave, Pyrrha was certain to maintain her polite and innocent expression as she was anything but on the inside. Lightning crashed dramatically in the background of Pyrrha's mind as she cackled maniacally, imagining the chaos that her friends would leave in their wake. ' _Father's frustrated headache will be legendary! That will teach him not to spoil my weekends! Mwa-hahaha…haha!'_

Unfortunately, Pyrrha had yet to master the art of maniacal laughter, even in her own mind.

Mr. Pearl turned to Jaune next. "And you, young man, do you have somewhere else to be?"

Jaune studied the man closely. He had been just shy of condescending and very dismissive of all of them, even Pyrrha, by constantly mentioning her father. He was treating her like a child that was expected to smile and do what she was told, instead of the young woman training to protect mankind that she was.

These people clearly did not have his partner's best interests in mind. That meant they were enemies, ' _There's no way I'm letting Pyrrha go into that King Taijitu den by herself,'_ Jaune decided.

"Actually, I think I'll stick with my partner for now. I've always been very curious to see how contract meetings like this are really done. I'm sure someone as experienced as you wouldn't mind walking us through it."

Pearl's expression became far less severe at the compliment, becoming what could almost be considered jovial, "Yes, quite. Follow me, please."

With that, the man turned, and led the way to the elevator he originally came from.

Jaune gave his partner a reassuring smile and a shoulder squeeze to show his support. Pyrrha smiled brightly at him in return.

Together, they boarded the elevator, and entered the serpents' den.

 **XXX**

Nora continued humming happily as she dragged Ren out onto the third floor. "This is so exciting, Ren! Do you think they'll have the Trailburner 9000 like we saw on TV last week? It's supposed to burn four times as many calories as a stair master, and give you a total body workout in just 30 minutes!"

Ren thought about pointing out that with their unlocked auras and active Huntsman-in-training lifestyles, their metabolisms burned more calories in a day than any machine could possibly match, but thought better of it.

' _She just looks so happy right now, and I don't want her to lose that smile,'_ Ren thought, resisting the urge to smile himself at his partner's usual child-like joy. Instead, he just allowed her to drag him along as they followed the signs toward the gym.

"If they featured it in one of their exercise programs, I'm certain they will have it in their gym. You should have plenty of time to test it out to your satisfaction," JNPR's ninja assured his partner as they finally arrived at the designated gym.

It was a very large professional grade workout space featuring everything from ellipticals and stair masters to a bear squat machine. Nora practically vibrated in place with excitement as she gazed at the state-of-the-art equipment. She was even drooling a little.

' _This reminds me of the time I accidentally mentioned that new pancake buffet restaurant to Jaune with Nora in the room…'_ Ren thought with a rueful smile. Contrary to what she may have said, Nora's headphones were _not_ on.

"Look, Ren! There it is!" Nora excitedly proclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she pointed to a machine that looked like a chimeric mix of a tread climber, an elliptical, and a deltoid press.

With a flash of speed that rivaled Ruby's semblance, Nora was at the machine adjusting the settings on the digital display, and giggling in unrestrained glee. Ren began making his way over to supervise when…

He heard it.

The unmistakable hum of a TurbineX Masticating Juicer being used somewhere nearby. His eyes began to feverishly scan the hallway, trying to pinpoint the sound when he noticed an open door across the hall.

The Zen master's body practically floated as made his way to the open door and looked inside to find a rather plain office style break room. The machine that drew him there was churning away on a countertop, perfectly blending a mix of fruits and veggies into a drink brimming with all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the human body.

Standing next to the machine, and of significantly less importance as far as Ren was concerned, was a young woman dressed in typical workout gear of shorts and a tank top. Her pale skin, and toned body, and high cheek bones, and glossy brown hair could be considered very beautiful, though Ren's focus was decidedly elsewhere.

The woman turned toward him, smiling invitingly. "Hello there, I didn't see you come in. Are you a new fitness coach? You certainly look the part," the woman stated, eyes trailing across his body.

It took a considerable amount of will for Ren to pull his eyes away from the blending juice, and focus on the young woman addressing him. He didn't blush, but it was a near thing. "Apologies for the intrusion. My name is Ren. I'm a Huntsman-in-training, and I was hoping to speak with someone about the benefits of red moss extracts in green smoothies."

The woman's eyes shone with joy as she smiled brightly, "Well, you've come to the right place! I'm one of the nutritionists on staff here, and I can help answer all your questions!" the woman continued, excitement evident at discussing her profession, "In fact, here…"

The nutritional expert turned to a nearby cabinet, retrieved another glass, and divided the freshly made juice into the two glasses. "Would you like some, I always blend too much to drink in one serving. I'm curious as to your opinion on the mint mixing with the beet-root powder…"

The world seemed to shrink until there was nothing else in it but the offered glass of nectar from Oum in the woman's outstretched hand. Ren thought the sun was even shining brighter, just to illuminate the beverage.

As tempted as he was though, Ren retained just enough sense of awareness to remember that his partner was in the next room unsupervised.

"I would very much like to take you up on your offer miss, and I would greatly enjoy discussing smoothie recipes with you, but I must go check on something across the hall. I will be back momentarily, please do not disappear," Ren spoke, almost in one breath, as he backed into the hallway. His eyes never left the smoothie. The smiling nutritionist never noticed, too busy giving him another one over.

' _That is some choice man candy, and he's interested in nutritional studies? Mama wants!'_ The woman gave him her most polite smile, "Of course. Take your time, I'll be here when you get back…"

Ren gave a grateful nod as he turned to make his way back to the gym.

The Zen master of JNPR arrived back at the gym to find his partner finishing with her setting adjustments, and beginning to use the machine.

"Nora!" Ren projected to get his best friend's attention.

"Yes~ Ren?" Nora chirped, turning to her partner, as she got into position on the exercise monstrosity.

"I found an expert to discuss smoothies with. They are just down the hall and they offered to let me sample one of their favorite recipes. I'll be back soon. Call if you need anything," Ren reminded gently.

Nora's face gained a green pallor as she thought of drinking one of juices her partner was so fond of. They made him so happy though…

"Okay, Renny! Have fun!" Nora exclaimed, a look of determination in her eyes as she turned back to her workout.

Ren's lips quirked upward in one of his signature smiles as he watched his partner workout for a moment. _'She is very adorable when she's determined like this,'_ he observed, before leaving to retrieve the sweet nectar of Oum that had been offered to him.

Nora let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as Ren left. When he looked at her, all focused and protective, like that it made it almost impossible to focus on what she was doing.

With renewed vigor, Nora returned to her epic quest for rock hard glutes. ' _I'm still not sure what being able to bounce lien chips off my rear has to do with getting Ren to notice me, but Yang's advice hasn't steered me wrong yet…'_


	3. Chapter 3

Once they left the elevator, Pearl led them through a tastefully decorated hallway to a set of large glass doors. There were a few other men gathered in the room beyond, each wearing nearly identical suits aside from their choice in tie.

Jaune snickered as he held the door for Pyrrha, ' _I bet they all get their suits form the same place.'_

Pyrrha smiled at his gentlemanly treatment. Whoever said chivalry was dead had obviously never met Jaune Arc. The Mistral champion strode into the boardroom, public smile firmly in place. "Hello, thank you for meeting with me today," Pyrrha said with her usual cheer, "I believe my father mentioned something about modeling for a campaign to teach children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, yes?"

The portly man in the middle of the group was the first to introduce himself. "Ah, Ms. Nikos, excellent of you to join us today so promptly," the man said as he stood to shake her hand, "I'm Richard Topaz main partner of the law firm Topaz Pearl Garnet and Silver and I am here representing my client BodyFIT."

The redhead barely resisted the urge to wipe her hand on a nearby office chair. Mr. Topaz's grip had been very moist. She turned to Mr. Pearl as he sat down next to one of the two unnamed men. "What sort of product were you thinking of using my likeness for, exactly?" Pyrrha enquired as Mr. Topaz finally waved to her to sit down.

Jaune reached forward to pull her chair out for her, before pushing it back in.

Pearl was very surprised at the question if his raised eyebrows were any indication.

"Your father did not tell you? That is strange. I thought for sure he would have mentioned it," the lawyer stated as he paused to skim a document one of the unnamed men handed him, "Our client BodyFIT is interested in launching a line of stuffed toys to help promote healthy lifestyles to children. We would be willing to offer you 5% of the gross sales for each fiscal quarter."

The unidentified man to Pearl's left looked up from a document he was reviewing to offer a smarmy grin to Jaune's partner. "This would be for the best Ms. Nikos, no sense in an arena champion such as yourself having to concern herself with the intricacies of money, after all," The severely overweight man laughed jovially as his skin flushed red with the effort.

The leader of Team JNPR looked on with narrowed eyes. These men were looking down on his partner either because she was young, a woman, or both. It didn't matter why really, only that they were. Whatever deal these men had worked out with Pyrrha's dad, it was obvious that these men did not care at all for her concerns.

His blood sang in his veins at their casual dismissal of his best friend.

Jaune squared his shoulders, and stepped into the Taijitu's maw.

 **XXX**

Ren savored the amazing smoothie. He sipped slowly, letting the concoction linger on his tongue so that he could appreciate the subtle hints of the different ingredients.

' _Lime, spirulina, mint, and is that coconut? Interesting choice.'_ Ren mused to himself as he continued to enjoy Oum's own nectar. The nutritionist, whose name he couldn't remember, continued to talk at him about the benefits of combining whey and soy protein in post workout recovery smoothies.

Most of this was information that he already knew, and so he chose to be silent and let the chatter wash over him like a wave as he continued to enjoy his drink. ' _Do I taste Oolong tea? Bold decision.'_

Once his drink was finished, Ren politely collected both of their glasses, rinsed them, and deposited them in the dishwasher. With his body and mind now refreshed with the revitalizing properties of produce, Ren's thoughts turned toward more pressing concerns.

Nora had been left unsupervised for the last twenty minutes.

It was only the fact that Ren did not feel the tell-tale shiver of his activating Nora Sense that he was not more concerned. Still, it was never a good idea to leave her unsupervised for long, and so Ren subtly turned and began making his way back toward the gym, making the occasional eye contact and non-committal hum of agreement as the nutritionist followed.

When they arrived back at the gym, Ren saw that Nora had evidently gotten bored with the strange machine she started with and moved on to bench pressing. By the looks of things, she was still warming up since she only appeared to be lifting three hundred or so pounds.

Suddenly, the nutritionist woman had moved to his side, unnoticed, since he was preoccupied watching his partner. She practically molding herself to him, tracing her fingers along his arms as she whispered something about the benefits of plant proteins and stamina recovery.

Nora moved her body up slightly, so that she could lean her head over the bench and get an upside-down view of the entrance while waiting for Ren. That machine had been a spectacular disappointment. ' _I get a better workout doing squats with Magnhild. What a rip-off!'_ The Valkyrie lamented the wasted time as she focused on finishing her last warmup set.

She grinned when she was granted an upside-down view of Ren coming back from talking with some doctor guy about plants and stuff. She was just about to rack her weights and call out to her partner when she noticed that he was talking to a young woman in skimpy workout clothes.

A young woman in skimpy workout clothes that had just gotten into her partner's personal space and was whispering in his ear while practically rubbing her whole body against him.

Nora took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she sat up. ' _Don't freak out yet, it could just be one of those mirage thingies from the blood rushing to my head Ren mentioned.'_

JNPR's leg breaking expert blinked slowly, and took in the scene again. Nope, there was definitely a woman there, and she was trying to use her partner like a sex toy if the full-body contact was anything to go by.

Though the sky outside was bright and clear, Vale commuters would later swear that they heard a peal of thunder at that moment.

Nora's teeth ground together for a moment before she put on her brightest smile and decided to go introduce herself. ' _Mine,_ ' She thought possessively, _'Mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE!'_

If Ren didn't know better, he would swear that Nora's semblance was teleportation with how quickly she went from across the room to latching onto his arm.

"Um, hello, Nora," Her partner greeted as he tried to find a polite way to extricate himself from the advances of the handsy civilian, "Did you have a nice warmup?"

"Yes, Ren!" Nora chirped, smiling brightly at him, "Who's your new friend?"

Lie Ren blinked rapidly, struggling to come up with something to identify his hanger-on with other than "Juice Lady".

"This is the woman who offered me juice," Ren stated, finally getting some space between them as the woman backed off to stare at Nora.

He was not successful. Clearly, he was having an off day.

"My name is Fuchsia Celedon." The woman stated imperiously, as she stared at Nora, "Ren and I were just discussing the benefits of various proteins and how they can help aid _stamina._ I'm not entirely certain it's a subject you'd be very knowledgeable about."

The way she said the word "stamina" left little doubt as to her meaning. Nora's eyes narrowed.

"Well I know proteins are good for muscle growth and recovery," Nora stated, smiling as she gazed at the woman, "How about a practical demonstration of its health benefits then?"

Fuchsia's eyes narrowed at the implied challenge. "What did you have in mind?"

Nora smiled a predatory smirk that would make Yang proud. "Weight lifting contest, you and me. We use the same weight, and do reps until we can't lift anymore. First person to rack their weights loses. That sound fair?"

The nutritionist smiled, sure of her victory, with her recent smoothie intake. "Bring it on."

As the women settled on benches next to each other, Ren stood near them, an attentive spotter. He wasn't concerned for his partner since she was only lifting a bit more than her usual warm up weight, but the civilian woman looked to be struggling already and they were only starting.

Ren sighed as he felt the shiver of his Nora Sense activating. _'I wonder if I can get another smoothie before we leave.'_

 **XXX**

Growing up as the only male sibling in a pack of seven sisters, there were a great many unwritten rules that Jaune and his father had to learn and obey.

Always knock before entering a room, and wait for a response.

Always put the toilet seat back down.

Things like that. However, there was one rule that everyone in the household would abide by regardless of gender: Jaune was not allowed to participate in Family Game Night when they played " _Tycoon_ ".

Or, as it was colloquially called by the kingdoms: " _Schnee: The Game_ ".

Why?

Because Jaune was an uncaring monster that would set up properties at the most common streets, buy all the railroads, and drive you into bankruptcy as he buried you in taxes. He would crush your hopes and bathe in the frustrated tears of your broken dreams as you begged for mercy that would never come. He would laugh while he did it, too.

If any of his family were there at that moment, they would have recognized the cold look in his eyes and the set of his jaw as the warning it was and collectively backed away in terror.

Unfortunately for these men, they had no idea what was about to befall them.

Jaune strode up to the table confidently, and pulled out the seat next to Pyrrha while he propped his feet up on the very nice mahogany desk. He smiled a toothy grin that did nothing to diminish the cold look in his eyes.

Pyrrha looked over at her partner, head tilted slightly in confusion.

The blonde gave her a wink before turning back to Mr. Pearl, the lawyer of a thousand pinched expressions, and smiling.

Every one of the well-dressed men was looking at him now, expressions stunned and gaping in confusion. Pearl was studying him as though he was an office chair that had gained sentience.

"Hello, Mr. Pearl, other distinguished gentlemen," Jaune prevaricated, as he reached across the table to pluck the folder from Pearl's unresisting grip and proceeded to skim the contents, ' _Mr. Nikos must be a great negotiator to get Pyrrha an ongoing payment instead of a lump sum for the rights to her image. Forty-five lien a plushie is pretty reasonable considering the cost of materials, labor, marketing, etc. but if their optimistic estimate for sales just in Vale is 50,000 units a quarter then these guys don't know who they are dealing with. At 5% each quarter, depending on sales, Pyrrha would be getting 1.75 lien per plushie. Yeah, we can definitely do better…'_

"It seems you are operating under a misconception here." Jaune eventually stated.

The still unnamed obese man sitting at the far right was the first to recover. "And what would that be young man?" the businessman asked snidely.

Jaune glared at them all as he suddenly lifted his legs off the table, pushed back his chair, and stood up in one swift movement. He leaned over the table, looming over them, "That is Pyrrha Nikos."

The obese man failed to recognize the warning in Jaune's tone, and responded with a dry tone, "Your grasp of the obvious is truly astounding."

Jaune smiled his shark like smile. "Pyrrha and I are training to be Huntsman to fight Grimm and protect people," Jaune continued as if the man had never spoken, "We've been partners for over a semester now, and we can hardly go into Vale without her being stopped for an autograph of something by an awestruck fan."

Jaune chuckled. "It's a lot of young kids mostly; girls that want to grow up to be just like her, or boys that tell her how pretty she is," The blonde turned to smile at his partner," I don't blame them, she _is_ one of the most beautiful girls in Beacon Academy."

JNPR's leader turned back to stare at the lawyers, and so missed his partner's attempt to get her face to match her hair.

"When we are put in teams at Beacon, our teammates, and especially our partners become vital to us," Jaune continued, "They fight beside you against Grimm; You lean on them for support; you trust them with all your hopes, dreams, everything that makes you tick and they do the same."

Jaune's glare became positively Schnee-like as he pulled out his scroll. "I'm a team leader so that's even more important for me. A leader provides all of that for every member of his team."

The rotund man on the far left sputtered as Jaune dialed a number on his scroll, struggling to leave his chair and articulate his outrage.

He finally just settled for blustering from his seat, "What are you doing!?" He puffed in an outraged tone, nostrils flaring like a frightened pig.

"Providing," was Jaune's succinct reply.

There was an answer on the third ring.

"Hey, Donna, it's Jaune, is Robert in? Okay, great, thanks."

There was some unintelligible murmuring on the other end of the line.

"Robert! How's my favorite brother-in-law? Verte still making you sleep on the couch?"

The murmuring became grumbles.

"Well, I warned you about giving her lilies for your anniversary, didn't I?"

There was a heavy sigh.

"Listen, Rob, I'm actually calling from the BodyFIT offices right now. They want to use my partner's likeness to launch some toy line to promote healthy lifestyles for kids."

The voice took on a questioning tone.

"Didn't I tell you? My partner is Pyrrha Nikos."

Silence.

"Yeah, they want to use her as a model for a line of plushies. And get this, they only want to offer her 5% of the gross sales."

The voice became disbelieving.

"Right, well here's what I'm thinking: You make plushie models of our entire team, and sell them individually as a collect them all sort of thing. Kids love that stuff, yeah?"

There was laughter.

"Hey, you could even make little models of our weapons with Velcro strips to stick on the hands."

The voice sounded excited.

"What, you thought Verte was the only Arc in the family with a head for business? How does 50% of the profits for the sale of each individual plushie and weapon sound?"

The murmuring took on a jovial pitch.

"Great, what time do the FitNOW offices close? Really? Great, you draw up the paper work and I can have my team there in thirty minutes."

Jaune closed his scroll and grinned at the now rapidly paling collection of lawyers, "Gentlemen, I believe this concludes our business. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go collect the rest of my team."

Jaune turned to his partner and offered his arm with an exaggerated courtly bow. "Would you care to accompany me on my quest, my fair maiden?"

Pyrrha giggled as she rolled her eyes at her ham of a leader. Still, she couldn't resist playing along, glad to see the return of the usual Jaune, even if the cold and commanding presence he had exuded moments ago was very…thrilling.

"But of course, kind sir, I would gladly accompany you on your most noble quest…" Pyrrha giggled again as she linked her arm with Jaune's, taking the time to lean into his side as they walked, ' _to play up the part.'_ Pyrrha told herself.

Jaune fought a valiant battle to control his blush as they exited the office and turned to walk back to the elevator. Just as the doors opened, they were both assaulted with the full body shiver of their activated Nora Sense.

Right before there was a crash that could be heard from the floor below them.

Pyrrha turned to her partner.

"At least they will be easy to find this time," Pyrrha said in a sympathetic tone, unhooking their arms to rub gentle circles on his back.

The blonde just sighed as the elevator doors closed.


	4. Chapter 4

Fuchsia Celedon, professional nutritionist, was in trouble. She was quickly coming to the shocking realization that there were limits to the awesome power of green smoothies. Namely that they did not make you capable of lifting beyond your comfort zone.

It had only been ten reps and she was feeling exhausted. That was to be expected when lifting significantly over your usual limit, but this girl was insane! She was lifting over 400 pounds with ease! She was even doing it one-handed! Granted, she was switching hands, but still...

She was gasping for breath, and her arms were beginning to shake with the effort. As she tried to raise the weight from her chest, her arms suddenly give out. Her eyes widen as the bar begins to fall, she scrambles to maintain her grip, but her hands are slick with sweat…

Suddenly, Ren is there, taking the weight from her and gently placing it back on the rack one-handed. Even in her near brush with injury, Fuchsia could appreciate the sheer masculinity of the act.

As if to add insult to injury, her competition doesn't even appear to be winded. They make eye contact, and the girl gives her an exaggerated wink before racking her own weights with a loud _'clang'._

Nora appears behind Ren, clambering onto his back, and wrapping herself around him, while her partner unloads their weights. The Valkyrie is all smiles and laughs as she loudly proclaims in the sincerest voice she can: "Looks like I win! You did good though, for a civilian! Almost made me sweat!"

It isn't very sincere.

Ren casually adjusts his stance for Nora's extra weight while he finishes putting up the equipment. When she is sure he is sufficiently distracted, Nora's gaze darkens as she glares down at her fallen adversary, pointing at her eyes with the first two fingers of her free hand, and then pointing those same fingers back at Fuchsia with a scowl.

JNPR's pancake chef stands, finished putting the weights up, and it's as though the last few minutes never happened. Nora is all giggling excitement again as they leave the gym.

"I hope Jaune and Pyrrha will be done soon! This was kinda boring, Ren! Those machines didn't give me a workout at all!" Nora lamented from her perch, "I feel cheated! Will you make me pancakes when we get home?"

Ren smiles despite himself, "Alright, Nora. But only one plate since we had them for breakfast."

The hammer wielder pouts, but doesn't push her luck. This isn't really about the pancakes, anyway.

Just as they are leaving, Nora turns one last time to glare at her vanquished foe, punctuated once again with the rumble of thunder outside, before they turn out of sight.

Fuchsia Celedon is left forgotten and alone.

 **XXX**

Luckily enough, the elevator opened just as they arrive in the lobby, revealing Jaune and Pyrrha.

"We heard a crash from the floor above. Ren, is there anything on fire?" JNPR's leader asks in calm resignation.

Ren lips quirk in one of his small smirks of amusement, "Surprisingly, no. Nora was just testing some weights, and put them back on the rack harder than necessary."

Pyrrha and Jaune let out noticeable sighs of relief as Nora stuck her tongue out at them.

The blonde clapped his hands together as he smiled cheerily at his team, "Well, I have good news and bad news."

"Lead with the bad news. It's always good to end on a positive note," Ren stated.

"The bad news is that the deal was awful, and nothing got signed."

Nora let out a groan of despair, "We came all this way for nothing!"

Jaune smirked, "Not necessarily. My sister's husband is president of a rival company. The good news is I secured us a deal to have our own line of plushie toys. All we have to do is go sign some papers, have some measurements and pictures taken, and we should have our own awesome plushies in no time!"

Ren and Pyrrha smiled as Nora cheered. "Whoo! You're the best, Fearless Leader!"

Just as JNPR was about to exit the building, the elevator near the entrance opened to reveal the brood of King Taijitus that Jaune and Pyrrha had left upstairs, led by Mr. Pearl. Surprisingly, though, he was not the first to speak, that was the seriously overweight guy that they still hadn't learned the name of.

"Wait, Ms. Nikos! You can't just leave! We had a deal! We agreed to all of your father's terms!"

' _Wow, this guy looks winded and is dripping sweat from riding an elevator? I should tread carefully here, if the poor sod gets too stressed, he may end up keeling over from a stroke right in the lobby.'_ Jaune thought.

Stepping in front of his team to shield them from the brood of serpents, Jaune's business persona reemerged. He gave the lawyer another business smile, causing the flushed, panting man to pale rapidly. His associates weren't much better off.

"While that may be true, sir," Jaune began, "it means nothing in the end. Pyrrha is the one that makes the ultimate decision, despite her father's position as her manager. And she never signed anything."

"We had a verbal understanding-"

"And?" Jaune's smirk grew, "Come on man, you're a lawyer! You know verbal contracts don't mean anything! Pyrrha never signed anything, we had no official deal, and now I am going to take my team and we are going to go sign a deal with your competitor and help teach children the value of exercise. And hey, it could be worse, at least you didn't tell your shareholders about the deal…"

' _There, that was pretty mild. They are all still standing, and no one has keeled over…'_ Jaune thought.

And with that, JNPR departed to hopefully make children more aware of the importance of exercise.

Behind them, just as the doors were closing, Jaune could hear the sound of bitter crying, as one of the lawyers, the fat one Jaune assumed, began to suffer a bit of a mental breakdown while several of the others began shouting and panicking, One of them even yelled, "DEAR OUM, THE SHAREHOLDERS ARE GOING TO BURN US TO ASHES!"

' _Ahh,"_ Jaune thought, smiling brightly, _'It's just like our old Family Game Nights back home…'_

 **XXX**

After a while of signing papers, getting measurements taken, and being subjected to having their pictures taken from multiple angles, Team JNPR finally stumbled back into their dorm in an exhausted daze.

Well, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren were exhausted. Nora, who had been carried back most of the way, was her usual bubbly self as she raced into the kitchen and stood by the stove, expression pleading as she waited for Ren to start making her pancakes.

Pyrrha and Jaune simply collapsed onto their beds face first.

The redhead was in the process of trying to rebuild her blanket burrito when her scroll chimed, indicating a text message. She lets out a groan of frustration. Jaune raises his head from his pillow at the sound, and reaches his hand toward their nightstand, blindly groping for her scroll.

Once he lays his hands on it, Jaune reaches out his arm, thankful for all the yoga Pyrrha made him do as part of his training, and passed the scroll to his partner.

Pyrrha gives him a grateful nod as she retreats into her blankets, and pulls up the message.

 **Father:** _I was quite irritated to hear about the original deal falling through. We were going to have a much different conversation, until I received a call from the_ FitNOW _offices informing me of the new contract they had just established. Apparently, your partner was most convincing. You have taken my lessons on choosing allies carefully to heart._

 _I was unaware that you already possessed connections in the fitness industry. You have impressed me. I shall let you negotiate more contracts yourself from now on. I am…proud of you._

Jaune looks over as his partner's cocoon suddenly shakes, and she emerges eyes wide in shock and positively giddy. Her father was proud of her! Granted, it was because she was a good judge of character, but still…

Instantly, Jaune's fatigue falls away like a shrugged off coat, and he's in team leader mode. "Pyrrha, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Pyrrha turned to her partner, eyes bright with unshed tears, and a grin that out shone the sun.

"My father just sent me a message about the new deal we managed to secure. He was very impressed." Unable to resist the opportunity, she couldn't help but add, "He even asked if he could adopt you."

Jaune sputtered in disbelief, eyes wide, "What?! He doesn't even know me!" His hands even got in on the incredulity, as they began to windmill about in his panic.

Pyrrha couldn't hold her expression in the face of such adorable panic. What started as a chuckle bubbling up past her lips soon evolved into full blown laughter. The tears that she had been holding back began to stream down her face while she laughed.

It was very cathartic.

Jaune smiled, glad his over-the-top acting could make Pyrrha laugh, "Feel better?"

The Mistral champion laughed, sitting up fully from her cocoon to face her partner as she began to fully explain her father's message. "My father was very pleased with the deal. He was so pleased in fact that he is going to let me have free reign in setting up more of my own contracts. Hopefully, that means we won't have any more surprise interruptions to our team plans."

Jaune laughed as he moved to sit on the edge of his bed, facing his partner, "Well that's a relief. I was really hoping we could try again next weekend. I'm glad you're okay. I was really concerned when you shot out of your blankets so suddenly."

This time, Jaune couldn't help but notice the light blush his partner sported as she looked away from him, "It's silly, really," Pyrrha murmured.

The knight reached out, gently laying his hand on top of her, causing her gaze to immediately focus back onto him, "Hey, it's me. I'm your partner, not those businessmen we dealt with. I won't just dismiss your problems, you're my best friend."

Pyrrha's blush intensified, even as she turned her palm upward to lace her fingers with his, barely giving it thought, she was so touched by his declaration. "It's just…this is the first time I can really remember my father saying that he was proud of me. At least when it comes to business things."

The redhead was surprised at the intensity of Jaune's gaze and what she saw there.

Understanding.

The blonde let out a mirthless chuckle as he met his partner's eyes, "You know, that is something I never thought we would have in common," He gave their joined hands a gentle squeeze, letting out a single breath before continuing, "You are the first person to ever believe in me."

Pyrrha let out her own gasp of surprise as Jaune continued, "No one in my family believes I have what it takes to be a Huntsman. They all see me as this weak, dorky runt that needs protecting. They keep telling me I should be a farmer or something."

"Yeah, it's not very good for the self-esteem of someone raised in a family of Hunters, and grew up hearing about all the amazing things done by his ancestors," Jaune said with a bitter laugh, "So believe me when I say, that until I came to Beacon, I really had a lot of experience being a disappointment to the people that mattered to me."

Unable to contain herself as her partner bared his soul to her, Pyrrha leaned forward, wrapping her partner in a warm hug. He of course, hugged back. The redhead rested her head in the crook of his neck, while his rested on her shoulder, inhaling the warm scent of her designer body soap.

"From the time I could walk, my father hired the best tutors he could to help teach me to fight. He wanted me to be a champion. Then, when I became a champion, he was always concerned with how he could use my status to make more money for the family. He would always give me lessons like reading the stock market, or how to pick good business associates. He was always impressed with my fighting abilities, but my lack of a head for business always seemed to disappoint him."

Pyrrha let out her own bitter laugh, warm breath tickling Jaune's earlobe and sending not unpleasant tingles shooting across his whole body, "I used to think that he would be happier if I was a boy, or better with numbers. I know he loves me, but he rarely shows it."

Jaune's grip on his partner tightened as he felt a few tears on his neck.

Pyrrha pulled back from the hug, wiping her eyes as she gave Jaune a watery smile, "But you didn't. You treated me like a regular person, helped me make real friends, and managed to get my father to say he is proud of me for the first time I can remember in years. Thank you, Jaune."

The blonde smiled at his partner, even as he wiped away her tears with the corner of his hoodie sleeve. Pyrrha's face did its best to reach new levels of redness with her partner's tender act.

"Hey, Pyr?" Jaune asked when he deemed her tears sufficiently gone.

"Yes, Jaune?"

"Let's make each other a promise to keep being the best partners we can to each other, and always be there for one another, okay?" Jaune asked, giving Pyrrha's hand another soft squeeze.

Pyrrha gave her partner another bright smile, "Of course, Jaune. Always."

Now thoroughly drained, emotionally, and mentally, Jaune and Pyrrha decided by mutual silent agreement to turn in early for the evening. That night, they slept well, happy and content in their heartfelt promise to always support each other.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a few weeks later when the plushies arrived.

They were delivered in a non-descript box which Jaune had to sign for, since it was addressed for him. He walked back into the dorm and set the box down on the floor, before sitting down next to it. "Okay, gather 'round everyone!"

Nora gave a salute as she reached the apex of her latest bounce, before using the momentum to steer herself toward the floor, landing with a giggle, "Reporting for duty, Jaune-y!"

Jaune smiled as Nora took a seat across from him, staring at the box in obvious curiosity. Pyrrha set aside the book she was currently reading for one of Professor Port's assignments. She turned to gaze at her partner questioningly. Jaune just gave her a wink as he patted the floor next to him.

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, but was quick to take him up on the invitation.

Ren wandered in from the kitchen, drying his hands on a dish towel, "Wait, what is happening?"

Jaune took on a rather over the top posh accent as he exclaimed "History, my good man! History!" He indicated the box they were all sitting around with a sweeping flourish.

Ren sighed as he put away the dish towel and walked over to sit next to Nora.

Jaune pulled off the tape after a bit of a struggle, and promptly opened the box to reveal the adorable contents within. The first thing out of the box was the set of weapons for each member of the team.

They all had little strips of Velcro, so they could be attached to the hands of the plushie figures. Since the girls' weapons had multiple forms, there was a different weapon for each form. Nora had two, and Pyrrha had three, plus Akuo.

Nora let out a maniacal giggle as she saw what this meant. "Aw yiss! I can finally duel wield Magnhild! Nothing shall stand before my might!"

"Wait a moment, Nora. We still have to look at the actual plushie figures first. Then you can conquer," Ren reminded as he did his best to reign in Nora.

The Valkyrie pouted adorably, but still put down the miniature hammer and grenade launcher she had gathered into each hand. Ren nodded for Jaune to proceed.

The first plushie out was Ren's. Everyone was very impressed with the detail. The makers had even gotten the pink streak in Ren's hair right. Nora was quick to squeal and grab the plushie for herself.

"Ohmigosh! It's just so cute! Look at its tiny arms, Ren!" Nora tried to take on a deeper tone of voice, doing a passable imitation of JNPR's ninja.

This for some reason required singing, "To be a man, you must be swift as a coursing river! Have all the strength of a great typhoon! All the force of a raging fire! Mysterious as the dark side of the moon~!"

Ren smiled at his partner, impressed with her ability to come up with something so catchy so quickly. Jaune and Pyrrha were also quite impressed, "That was pretty good Nora. Really clever." Jaune congratulated.

"Yes, Nora, I almost feel like that could be a song in a new animated children's musical or something," Pyrrha stated, smiling at her friend.

"Aww, thanks, guys!" the hammer wielder blushed, "It was nothing really!"

Jaune turned back to the box, and they kept going. The next out was…

"Look at the tiny Pyrrha, guys!" Nora crowed, "She's so cute, I think we should call her Pyr-aawww~!"

Jaune laughed, even as he held the tiny replica of his best friend, quickly attaching her shield and Milo in spear form, "Definitely adorable," the blonde stated, looking down at the plushie to make sure the weapons were on properly.

He missed Pyrrha's intense blush entirely. Ren and Nora merely shared glance and a sigh.

Jaune laughed, as he took on a higher pitch in an attempt at his partner's voice. He gestured with the hand holding Milo as he began, "Do you know what's there, waiting beyond that beach? Immortality! Take it, it's yours!"

Nora clapped, and let out a sharp whistle, "I like it. Really inspiring. They should use that as the slogan for an exercise campaign."

"Either that, or for Pyrrha's biographical movie," Ren chimed in as he finished putting Storm Flower on his plushie counterpart, which he then pretended to fire, "Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!"

Nora giggled, glad that her partner was loosening up and getting into the spirit of things, "Go, Little Ren! Show those carpet fibers who's boss!"

Ren gifted his partner with an eye roll, but didn't stop decimating the poor carpet with invisible Dust bullets. Once he got bored of that, he quickly passed plushie back to Nora, watching as she cheerfully picked up where he left off.

Pyrrha smiled at her partner, "That is certainly more passionate and inspiring than the speeches I usually have to give, I feel like it could be part of one of the epics from home."

Jaune laughed, "Glad to be of service, Milady," the knight said with an exaggerated courtly bow, causing the redhead to break out into a fit of giggles, "Now let's see who's next…"

The next plushie out of the box was the Mistress of Femur Destruction.

Nora barely had time to squeal about how awesome her plushie counterpart was when it seemed to disappear from Jaune's hands. Everyone looked over to find Ren had not only grabbed Little Nora, but also the weapons, and was busy attaching them to the plushie's hands.

The hammer wielder was unusually quiet as she watched Ren lavish attention and his usual gentle care in making sure the display was just right. Jaune and Pyrrha shared a sigh and a look, conveying the same thought to each other with a single glance: _'Oh yes, they're not together-together_ at all…'

Once he was finished completing Little Nora's duel wielding pose, he did his best to take on the over excited tones of his best friend, "Behold, I am the destroyer of WORLDS!" Ren cried in over-dramatic fashion, "Syrup for the Syrup God! Pancakes for the pancake throne!"

Jaune and Pyrrha laughed as Ren took a mock bow with Tiny Nora. They both congratulated Ren on his excellent impression. Nora…

Team JNPR's heavy hitter was too busy staring with laser like focus at Ren's hand wrapped around Little Nora's waist. Eventually, she came back to her senses when Ren called her name.

"Uh, Yes! You did good! That was funny, Ren! I would totally say that!" Nora laughed rather forcefully, hoping to cover her embarrassment. Her partner just shrugged.

Jaune sighed as he reached into the box for his own plushie, "Last and certainly least, right?" the Arc gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head.

Pyrrha frowned at her partner, quickly taking the plushie and cradling it in her hands, smiling as she affixed Crocea Mors sword and shield forms to the hands. She smiled down at the plushie, but became distracted by the rather large amount of stuffing in the bottom half of the plushie. It seemed to be...bulging out of the toy.

The redhead fought valiantly to control her thoughts but couldn't stop herself from wondering…' _Is this modeled after the real Jaune as well?"_ On the heels of that were images of late night practices in the roof, perhaps working on grappling techniques…

Jaune was getting a little nervous. Pyrrha had been staring his plushie for a while, seemingly lost in thought. When he noticed exactly where her gaze was focused, he blushed hotly.

' _When Robert said they were going to model these toys to spec, I thought they would leave that detail out!'_ Jaune whined mentally, ' _These are children's toys! I'm gonna call Verte, and tell her to give him an extra month on the couch!'_

At the same time, however, Jaune couldn't help but glance down and notice his own hand placement, wrapped firmly around the waist of his partner's stuffed counterpart. He could almost _feel_ the blood rushing to his face from the rest of his body.

Pyrrha glanced up and noticed Jaune's nervousness. He seemed to be avoiding looking at anyone in the room. She was mortified, thinking that he had noticed her staring at his plushie counterpart, and specifically _where_ her gaze was focused. So Pyrrha cleared her throat and did her best to assume the deeper tone of her partner's voice.

"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you're looking for money, I don't have any. What I _do_ have is a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you…"

Jaune laughed, "I'm not sure how my being able to cook, sew, dance, and massage translates into being able to rescue you from imaginary kidnappers, Pyrrha. If you _were_ kidnapped though, I figure out a way to weaponize them. Maybe I can come up with some sort of acupuncture attack style…"

Nora giggled and clapped, "Who needs the movie?! That was awesome!"

Ren smiled his trade mark grin as he let his own feelings be known, "Laird Newson would be proud."

Pyrrha smiled at her friends, even as she made Little Jaune take a bow. Her professional curiosity was piqued though, and she took a moment to consider exactly what a fighting style involving acupuncture and sewing needles would even look like.

She couldn't help but giggle.

The sound of Pyrrha's laughter brought Jaune out of his introspection as he stopped considering what a fighting style based around sewing needles would look like. He smiled at his partner, before moving to get everyone's attention.

"Okay, everyone, once we're done playing with our partners, we should put them on the study desk for display."

Jaune was surprised by the sudden silence; He met his friends' gazes, puzzled. "What, guys? What's wrong?

"Think back to your last few words, Jaune," Ren advised.

The blonde paused to consider for a moment, and then it came to him, "Oh come on! Real mature guys!" The team leader's blush told a different story. He still didn't let go of Little Pyrrha, though.

With that, the dam finally burst on the giggles the girls had been holding back. They dissolved into fits of laughter. Ren even chuckled. Looking at the rest of his team, Jaune eventually lost his composure too. They laughed until tears fell down their faces.

And if their faces were red for reasons other than laughter, no one would be able to tell the difference…

 **XXX**

The plushies all stayed on the study desk for a total six hours. Once it was time to go to sleep, Nora snatched up Little Ren, giggling as she skipped over to her bed. The others looked at her askance while she cheerfully placed her Plushie Partner on the pillow next to hers.

"What?" she asked, glancing at her team, "Little Ren is going to protect me from bad dreams while I sleep! Isn't that right, Little Ren?" Her voice went lower as she responded to her own question by making the plushie sit up, "That's right, Nora. I'll make sure you only have good dreams about pancakes and explosions, or that one dream where you were bathing in maple syrup with R- "

Nora paled as she slapped a hand over the plushie's mouth, eyes wide as they darted around the room, "OKAY! That's enough talking for now, Little Ren! Time for sleep!"

JNPR's fountain of energy then took advantage of the fact she had mastered the art of being able to fall asleep near instantly (a trick she had learned from her partner) to head off any potentially awkward questions her team might ask by being unconscious.

Jaune, Ren, and Pyrrha shared a look before deciding to ignore the last few minutes of strangeness and simply chalk it up as Nora being Nora.

The all went about their usual night time rituals and climbed into bed. JNPR rested peacefully until Jaune heard movement by his partner's bed in the middle of the night.

Jaune fought his way to wakefulness slowly. Pyrrha was usually a very sound sleeper, hardly moving during the night. When the weather started getting cooler, that became even more so with her being wrapped in blankets. So, when Jaune heard movement coming from his partner's bed, he was immediately curious.

He rolled over to make sure Pyrrha was okay, and what he found shocked him.

 **XXX**

Lie Ren was not having a good night. Usually he could sleep so soundly, he would make the dead envious. However, tonight was not normal. He had been awake for most of the night, getting little more than fitful sleep at best.

And it was all Nora's fault.

Ren had a habit of falling asleep facing his partner's bed. Until she was sleeping, there was always a chance she would come up with some wild idea and immediately burst into action to follow it. It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that her adorable sleep face soothed him.

Nothing at all…

Tonight, was the exact opposite, however. He had been staring at his partner as she slept, but the usual relaxation that lulled him to sleep wasn't what he was feeling right now. Instead, all he felt was a growing feeling of jealousy clawing at his chest.

The small plushie of himself was clutched tightly in Nora's arms, the top of its head was under her chin, and it was facing him, with its back pressed firmly in Nora's…chest.

Taunting him.

" _Look at me,"_ it seemed to say, as his own grin stared back at him, " _How much do you want to trade places with me right now? It's so soft and warm here. As soft as you've imagined."_

Ren glared at his plushie counterpart. Did his usual grin always look so smug and condescending?

The plushie's smirk seemed to grow more pronounced, " _Maybe if you weren't such a coward…"_ it taunted him again. Ren sighed, shut his eyes, and finally rolled over to face the other side hoping to get some sleep. It was going to be a long night. _'Maybe the little plushie me has a point,'_ Ren considered, ' _I really need to own up to my feelings and do something about them. I don't want to end up like poor Pyrrha, after all…'_

 **XXX**

Jaune swallowed audibly, afraid to blink because what he was seeing could not possibly be real.

Pyrrha's arms were clutching the plushie of himself tightly to her chest, it's face sandwiched in her cleavage. As she adjusted her position, the plushie's head moved back and forth in its improvised pillow nest. His partner smiled and let out a slight giggle at the movement. "Jaune~!" she whisper-giggled.

Jaune felt his heartbeat literally skip inside his chest. He had to be hearing things, right? There is no way, his so-beautiful-language-failed-to-fully-describe-it partner was interested in him, right?

Just as he convinced himself that there was some sort of mistake, his partner let out a low moan.

Jaune's head turned back to face her so quickly, he was afraid he may have given himself whiplash.

Somehow, the plushie had now made it _inside_ of his hoodie, Pyrrha's arms wrapped around herself, holding it there. It was no doubt full cushioned in the soft skin of his partner now. It stared at him, blue eyes unblinking as it taunted him with the delights it was currently experiencing.

Pyrrha let out another low moan and Jaune shuddered as the erotic sound seemed to reverberate through his very bones, and set his pulse to quickening. Eventually, he closed his eyes and turned away from his partner in a desperate attempt to get some sleep.

It was going to be a _long_ night…


	6. Chapter 6

Pyrrha awoke slowly, as was her habit now that the weather was cooler, and quietly extricated herself from her blanket safe-haven. She felt more content and relaxed than she had been in quite a while. As she wrapped a blanket around herself, and started to make her way to the bathroom, she glanced down at her bed and smiled fondly at the plushie of her partner. Perhaps that was why she was so relaxed this morning?

' _Even the plushie form of my partner does whatever he can to make me feel happy and comfortable…'_

With that cheerful thought, Pyrrha made her way to the bathroom to go about her usual morning rituals. Luckily, it was the weekend, so they didn't have class to worry about. Pyrrha took a little extra time to enjoy the hot water of her shower. And if she spent that time thinking about the rather _intense_ dreams she had the night before, that was no one's business but her own.

Pyrrha exited the bathroom to find her best female friend already up for the day, excitedly hugging "Little Ren" to her chest. "Good Morning, Nora!" Pyrrha called, as she made her way to her bed to put on her circlet and fix her hair.

"Good Morning, Pyrrha!" Nora parroted excitedly, "Isn't today great?! I slept so well last night! I'm so ready for the day! Let's go get some food from the cafeteria!"

The champion chuckled as she finished putting on her casual sneakers, ready for the day. "That sounds like an excellent idea! I seem to be rather hungry this morning myself. Do you need time to change?"

Nora snorted a laugh as she put Little Ren down on her pillow, "Nah! It's the weekend. I'm wearing sweatpants, so all I need to do is put on a sweater and shoes since I showered last night."

Once the two Huntresses were ready for the day, they had to address another issue: What to do about the boys. Ren was as sound a sleeper as always, and rarely rose on the weekends unless prompted. Jaune, however, had Pyrrha a bit worried.

"Jaune, Nora and I are going to breakfast. Would you like to come?"

The blond let out a grunt into his pillow since he was sleeping on his stomach that Pyrrha translated as "No, thank you." She exchanged a look with Nora, who shrugged before skipping to the door.

The redhead found it odd that Jaune was sleeping on his stomach, since he usually slept on his side. Not that she ever watched him sleep.

That would be weird.

She just made sure her partner was safe from nocturnal Grimm attacks. Still, she pressed on and did her best to be as good a partner to Jaune as he was to her, "Okay, Jaune. We'll leave you and Ren to sleep in for a bit. We'll bring you back something from the cafeteria, okay?"

Pyrrha translated his answering grunt as a "Thanks, Pyrrha, you're the best partner ever!" before sighing, and making her way to the cafeteria with Nora.

 **XXX**

Pyrrha and Nora sat down at their usual table, across from Team RWBY. As usual, Yang was the first to greet them, "Hey! What's up Nora, and P-Money! You guys look like you slept well."

Pyrrha responded for them, since Nora was too busy stuffing pancakes into her maw, "We slept very well, thank you. This is the most relaxed I've felt since the weather turned actually."

Nora tried to snort a laugh, but it came out as more of a cough instead since she hadn't really chewed her last bite of pancake before swallowing. She grabbed her glass of orange juice, downing most of it in one big gulp, and her airway was suddenly clear.

"Ahhh, that was kinda scary! I think my life flashed before my eyes! Thanks for saving me again, orange juice! You're the Ren of breakfast beverages!" Nora chirped as she started cutting her pancakes into smaller portions.

Pyrrha turned to chastise her friend, "Nora you really need to be more careful! What if you were choking on something more difficult to swallow!"

Without looking up from her book, Blake covered her partner's mouth with her right hand before she could capitalize on the opening poor, innocent Pyrrha had given her. Yang of course licked her hand in retaliation.

Blake merely quirked an eyebrow in response. Yang winked.

Nora giggled. "It's fine, Pyrrha! Nothing to worry about!"

The Mistral Champion massaged her temples as she sighed, "While we're on the subject, you should really be more careful about how you handle Little Ren in the mornings. If you keep squeezing him too hard, you'll wear him out too quickly."

"HA!" Nora mock laughed, "Says the woman who stayed wrapped around Little Jaune all night! Nearly woke us all up with the moaning you were doing!"

Pyrrha blushed brightly at the implications. "M-moaning?!"

Nora nodded sagely. "Yes, moaning."

There was a squeak, and the ladies of JNPR looked over to see a gaping, silent, wide-eyed RWBY.

Weiss had stopped to stare at them dumb-struck, nail file clattering to the table.

Ruby had paused to stare at them, her face blushing enough to rival Pyrrha, a strawberry forgotten half-way to her mouth.

Blake had looked up from her book to stare at them with laser like intensity.

Yang glanced at her partner, practically _begging_ with her eyes to take advantage of this early Maiden's Day present.

When her partner gave a single curt nod, Yang turned back to her friends, a manic gleam in her eyes, "Nora, Pyrrha, could you _expand_ on that topic please?"

Pyrrha and Nora shared an awkward laugh. Pyrrha combined hers with a rub of the back of her head, a gesture she had picked up from Jaune.

Nora of course recovered first, being nearly immune to awkward situations, and so was the one to explain the situation. "Pyrrha and Jaune got us a deal signed with a company to promote wellness to kids using toys. Team JNPR now has our own plushie toys! Which Pyrrha and I cuddle with at night to help us sleep."

Weiss let out a visible sigh of relief. "That is much less improper than what it first sounded like. Good for you Pyrrha, doing your best to help kids understand the value of a healthy lifestyle."

Ruby finally remembered the strawberry she had in her hand and shoved it into her mouth so that she could exclaim "That is so awesome! I wonder how accurate the renderings are? I bet they are super cute! Can we see them?!"

Blake resumed staring at them with laser like intensity.

"Aww man, you guys got a merchandising deal already?" Yang playfully lamented, "I bet Team RWBY will get an awesome deal too! I want to have my own line of boxing gloves."

Blake let out a dismissive snort as she resumed reading, "Of course you would," She said in her usual monotone.

Yang laughed, "I bet you wouldn't mind your own series of _literature, eh?_ Or maybe your own line of toys of the 'battery operated' variety?" the brawler stated with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Weiss let out an indignant huff as she uncovered Ruby's ears, "Honestly, must you be so vulgar?!" The heiress straightened a non-existent wrinkle in her skirt before continuing, "Honestly, I wouldn't mind having my own fashion line, or perhaps makeup…"

Ruby chimed in with a quick "Desserts!" to the surprise of no one, before ruthlessly ending another helpless strawberry.

Blake glared at her partner, "I will replace your shampoo with hair dye."

Yang's eyes watered, and she immediately fled to the other end of the table, crouching behind Weiss' seat. "WEISS! Blake is being mean to me! Make her stop!"

The snow themed Huntress sighed, rubbing her temples. "I swear you are five years old!"

As their friends dissolved into bickering, Nora and Pyrrha let out a sigh, glad the potentially awkward subject of their sleeping arrangements was seemingly forgotten.

Or so they thought…

Yang, who had returned to her usual seat, glanced around the cafeteria, "Speaking of things that should have your names on them, where are Ren and Jaune?"

Pyrrha was the one to answer this time, distracted by spearing a stubborn blueberry with her fork, "They're sleeping. They seemed rather exhausted and since it is the weekend, we thought it best to let them sleep in. We'll just bring them some food back."

Nora nodded her agreement, as she stuffed another pancake into her mouth.

Yang smiled, "Aww! Aren't you two just the most devoted girlfriends ever!"

Nora swallowed her pancake on reflex, even as she paled drastically.

Pyrrha wasn't much better, letting out another awkward laugh as her eyes darted around the cafeteria, searching for an exit. She glanced down at the non-existent watch on her wrist. "Well, look at the time! I'm sure Jaune and Ren are starving by now! We really should bring them something!"

Nora frantically nodded, practically dragging Pyrrha out of her seat as she gripped her hand and the two Huntresses of Team JNPR dashed back to the buffet.

Team RWBY stared at their retreating backs.

Blake looked over at her team, book forgotten for the moment, "Does anyone else get the feeling JNPR is pretty much married to their partners?"

Team RWBY let out a mechanical nod as they watched Nora and Pyrrha flee the cafeteria.

 **XXX**

Back in their dorm, Ren and Jaune awoke with groans associated with a reanimated corpse. By mutual silent agreement, Ren showered first. Once the bathroom was available, Jaune stumbled in and carried out his usual morning routine.

Once he was dressed for the day, Jaune sat on the end of his bed, just as Ren was doing. Neither said a word, though they did turn to glare at their respective plushie likenesses that were resting on their partners' beds.

"You too, huh?" Jaune finally broke the silence.

"Unfortunately, so." Ren replied.

"You going to do something about it?"

"I am…still debating the best course of action at the moment. You?"

"The same," Jaune said with a chuckle, "Hey, look at it this way, once the plushies start making us money we can easily buy a whole bunch of them and set the little bastards on fire or something."

Ren smirked at his team leader, "That is very true. I look forward to that day."

Nothing else was said.

At least, nothing else was said until the fairer half of their team arrived in a flurry of movement like they were being chased by a Deathstalker.

"Ren! Fearless Leader! You're alive! We thought for sure would be starved to death waiting for us to bring you food!" Nora said in her usual exuberant rush as she practically teleported to her partner's side, bearing a to-go box of turkey sausage and egg whites in one hand, and carrying a green smoothie in the other.

Team JNPR's ninja immediately noticed the smoothie and gave his partner a grateful smile. He was done debating.

"Thank you for bringing me breakfast Nora," Ren said as he gently took the container from her and set It on their nightstand.

"You're welcome, Ren!" his partner chirped with her usual exuberant cheerfulness.

Ren took a small sip of the smoothie, savoring the taste, ' _She got my usual morning recipe exactly right…'_

Nora watched her best friend's reaction, almost biting her lip in worry, afraid that she had possibly gotten the recipe wrong. She was working just from memory after all…

Ren's smile alleviated her worries. She let out her held breath in a sigh. "You did very well, Nora…"

The Valkyrie's beaming smile could have raised the temperature in Atlas to something found in Vacuo.

"But…" Ren trailed off, hating spoiling Nora's mood, but finding it necessary to his current plan. _'Now or never, Lie…'_

Nora's expression would inspire sympathy from a Beowulf.

Ren smiled at his partner, hoping to ease her worries, "You just forgot the secret ingredient. Luckily, we have some in the kitchen."

Nora's expression went from crushed to curious in a heartbeat. "You never mentioned a secret ingredient, Ren! Of course, it wouldn't really be _secret_ if you did! But we never keep secrets from each other…"

Ren smiled at his partner's usual babble, "It's okay, Nora. Like I said, we have some in the kitchen. Follow me, and I'll show you…"

 **XXX**

Pyrrha sat next to Jaune, who eagerly opened the offered box to find two rather large omelets, and a good portion of hash browns. "Wow, I'm pretty hungry, and I _really_ appreciate you bringing me breakfast, but I don't think I can eat all of this by myself. Especially not in one sitting."

The redhead blushed as she looked down at her lap, "I'm sorry Jaune. I'm afraid I might have let Nora's exuberance affect me. I'm afraid I may have grabbed more than I intended…"

Jaune smiled at his partner, "That's fine. Maybe you'd like to help me?" The knight did his best to keep the nervousness out of his tone. He was keenly aware that their intimate seating arrangement and sharing a meal could look an awful lot like a date.

Pyrrha's gaze snapped back to her partner, blush dusting her cheeks. Sure, she had just eaten breakfast, but there was _no way_ she was going to turn down the chance to share a meal with her partner in such an intimate setting. It was very close to a date, after all.

"Yes! That sounds grand!" Pyrrha prayed to Oum that she didn't sound _too_ enthusiastic.

Jaune gave an awkward chuckle as he glanced back down to open box. "There's just one problem, Pyr. There's only one set of plastic utensils."

The hoplite was just about to summon her courage and suggest they share that too, when Jaune slapped his palm to his forehead. "Stupid. I forgot about your semblance! Sorry, Pyr. Do you think you can summon a fork and knife from the silverware drawer?"

The redhead did her best to hide her disappointment as she _carefully_ summoned a fork and knife from the kitchen. This wasn't dodging practice after all. She was definitely going to train with Jaune later though. They would have to work extra hard to burn all these calories...

The two partners had just begun to eat their shared meal, when they both stopped, looking sharply at the kitchen. "Team Sloth senses…tingling." Jaune whispered. With a nod, they set aside their shared breakfast, and stealthily crept to the kitchen entrance...

 **XXX**

Nora was incredibly puzzled when Ren reached the cabinet where they kept their breakfast supplies. There weren't any vegetables in there! Nora knew, she checked very thoroughly.

She was ready to check Ren for a fever when he pulled out one of their bottles of maple syrup. Ren carefully set the smoothie on the counter, and without breaking eye contact with Nora, gently poured three fingers worth of syrup into the smoothie and gently stirred it with a spoon he got from the conveniently open silverware drawer.

He took a small sip, _'Not bad,_ Ren thought, as he swallowed the sweetened concoction, smiling at his partner's mystified expression.

"That's your secret ingredient?! Really?!" Nora finally blurts, half convinced she's dreaming.

Ren smiled at his partner as he held out the cup, "Try it."

Nora, still convinced she was somehow dreaming, took the cup without thought. If she was dreaming, none of this was real, anyway. She took a sip. It was _good!_ She let out a happy hum, as she handed the drink back to her best friend. She had gotten it for him, after all.

"That's amazing, Ren! You wouldn't think veggies and maple syrup would go together like that but that is so good! I could drink that every day!"

Ren smiled, relying on his Zen mastery to keep his composure for the next part of his plan. "I'm glad you think so, Nora, because I actually wanted to talk about more than just the secret ingredient of smoothies with you.

Nora gave him a quizzical head tilt, "About what, Ren?"

Ren steeled himself. "Well, green smoothies and syrup are interesting things. Separately, they are great. They both provide nutrients and flavor respectively. These two things have always been apart…"

Ren's tone became softer as he gazed at his partner, hoping she would fully understand his awkward metaphor, "But maybe they were afraid of being together. Perhaps the green smoothie was afraid that coming together-together with the maple syrup would ruin what they had separately, and make them an undrinkable mess. But, we just tasted it, and…"

Nora was now hoping that if this was a dream, she really didn't want to wake up! Sure, the metaphor was clumsy, but Nora was pretty sure Ren was talking about _them_ and not food at this point. She could feel her heart race, and tears beginning to gather in her eyes as her cheeks flushed prettily. "Renny~!" she whispered as she took a step toward her partner…

' _Oh Oum, I think she might be crying!'_ Ren thought frantically as he tried desperately to think of a way to salvage the situation, _'Think Lie! What can you do to fix this?!'_ The ninja chef went with the gut instinct of every male with close female friends.

Physical contact followed by complete subservience.

Ren reached out and gently tapped his partner's nose, "Boop!"

The emotional dam that she had been holding back finally burst at that moment. Nora launched herself at Ren with a watery, happy giggle. They ended up crashing to the floor, Nora's head buried in his chest. She looked up at him from her position, his arms firmly wrapped around her to protect her from harm.

She smiled at him as he reached up to gently wipe away her tears with is thumb, "Yes, Ren. I love you, too."

Lie Ren's composure slipped for the first time in a very long time. "Could you repeat that?" he asked gently.

Nora beamed at him, "Silly Ren. I said…"

He kissed her.

It wasn't the sort of kiss found in epic romance novels. There weren't any fireworks or angelic choirs.

In fact, their positioning made it a bit awkward. Their teeth clattered together, and so did their foreheads as they tried to sit up without breaking their lip-lock.

None of that mattered. For the two childhood friends of Team JNPR, this was the beginning of another chapter in their lives. Another first shared between two people that had shared many others.

To them it was perfect.

As they finally came up for air, they had a moment to gaze at each other and smile before it was broken irrevocably by their teammates.

Pyrrha gave a wistful sigh and an " _Awww~"_ even as Jaune cheered and fist pumped the air. "Yes! We win the pool!"

Jaune shared a fist bump with his partner as they turned back to the new couple.

"Pool?" Ren asked, as Nora helped him stand.

"Yeah, a betting pool on when you guys would get together," Jaune clarified, "We had a bet going with RWBY. Pyrrha and I had money down for this month. With how much I convinced Weiss to put down, once we divide the winnings between the four of us, you two should have plenty to do something really nice for your first date."

"Wait, how did you convince Weiss to bet money like that?" Nora asked, "She doesn't seem like the type to gamble."

Jaune smiled the shark-like smile that had so recently made him the bane of businessmen. "Apparently a 'complete dolt' like me knows nothing of romance and so gambling against me is really a good investment. That'll show her."

Team JNPR shared a laugh, as Jaune took a moment to get out the orange juice from the refrigerator and pour four glasses. "A toast! To Team Sloth! Long may they reign!"

Nora was practically starry eyed at their new "couple nick name" as they all clinked glasses.

Jaune and Pyrrha went back to sharing their breakfast. Ren and Nora quickly decided to do the same.

They were all perfectly happy and content.


	7. Chapter 7

It was the first official day of winter, and Pyrrha Nikos was miserable. She lay huddled in her blanket fort, insulated by the comforting warmth of the many hoodies she lined her fortress with as her team got ready around her.

It wasn't enough.

The cold seemed to be seeping into her bones at this point, clawing its way past her blanket defenses, and chilling her to the core. It only got worse when the need to get ready for the day forced her to emerge from her shelter. Pyrrha blinked slowly as she wrapped a few blankets around herself as a shield while she hurried to the bathroom.

Once she had her shower, Pyrrha felt marginally ready to face the day, at least until she was finally awake enough to notice the ground outside.

The Beacon grounds were covered in this white powder that looked soft to the touch, and oddly beautiful as it glistened in the light of the sun.

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. She knew it was a deceptive beauty. It distracted you with its glistening flakiness and when you least expected it… _Bam!_ Frostbite!

Yes, the four-time Mistral champion had studied her enemy and all its dangerous weapons. Frostbite. Cold. Snowballs. Cold. Black Ice. Cold. Sickness. Cold. Yes, she had studied them all. Luckily, she knew a way to combat it. The best way to avoid the insidious cold was to simply not touch it.

The redhead was just contemplating how best to put her armor on under her uniform so that she could try controlling it with her semblance to float off the ground when Jaune looked up at the clock and panicked.

"Crap! Guys, we only have fifteen minutes to get to class, and with the snow on the walkways, we're gonna need extra time, or else we'll be late!"

The Mistral champion barely had time to blink before her partner was grabbing his bookbag and rushing out the door. Nora skipped along behind him, eagerly calling out suggestions for what games they should play in the snow after classes let out.

Ren and Pyrrha exchanged identical looks of long suffering, even if they were for different reasons, and shared a sigh before dutifully trudging after their partners.

"It's going to be one of those days, isn't it, Ren?"

"I'm afraid so…"

They caught up with the other half of their team easily enough and found them chatting with Team RWBY as they walked toward the exit to the dorms.

Once their group was all accounted for, they made their way outside, slowly making their way down the awning covered walkway that led out of their building to the rest of the grounds. Blake was reading as usual, using her superior hearing to avoid running into anything as she walked behind Yang. Ruby was excitedly chatting with her sister and Nora about organizing a massive snowball fight after class.

Even Weiss seemed strangely content, humming to herself and even smiling as she gazed at the snow-covered grounds. "Aren't the grounds particularly beautiful this morning?"

' _That's not surprising, this must be like a family reunion considering she's from Atlas, home of the Great Enemy…_ ' Pyrrha punctuated this thought with a bitter glare at the snowy ground around her.

"Hey, Pyr? Why are you staring at the ground like you're trying to eviscerate it with your eyes?" Jaune piped up, as he turned to stare questioningly at his partner.

Pyrrha was broken from her dark thoughts by the voice of her partner "I was just thinking…very intensely about a new training technique I would like to try." Her bright tone hid her previously dark thoughts.

Jaune shrugged, displaying his trust in her by accepting the answer at face value, before turning back to continue talking with Ren.

Everything was fine until they reached the end of the covered walkway and ran out of path. Nothing but snow stretched out before them, blocking their way to the cafeteria.

Pyrrha resumed glaring at her hated enemy where her friends could not see. ' _You think you've won? You believe me bested? I am Pyrrha Nikos, Champion of Mistral, and you will fall in shameful defeat this day!'_

JNPR's celebrity turned to their leader, gaze fixed in determination, "Jaune, I need you to carry me."

The blond just gave a quizzical head tilt in response, she wanted to train _now_? "I dunno, Pyr. Isn't that a bit dangerous with this much snow on the ground?"

The redhead did her best to reassure him, as usual, "Don't worry, Jaune, it's part of the new training techniques I was just thinking of, extra endurance training!"

Jaune rubbed the back of his head, staring at the snow apprehensively, "Isn't that kinda dangerous, Pyr? What if I slip or something and we both get hurt?"

His partner countered his fears with her usual confident smile, "Don't worry, I have every confidence in you…"

When Jaune still looked reluctant, Pyrrha decided to try another track, ' _Think, Nikos! What was it Ruby was always saying about making that adorable stare she always does? Make yourself sad?'_ Pyrrha took a deep breath and focused, ' _Okay, cocoa beans going extinct, Milo getting broken, Weiss dating Jaune…'_

At the last thought, Pyrrha began to feel the sting of tears gathering in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, and tried to make her eyes as wide as possible, just as Ruby had taught them, and turned back to her team leader, "Please, Jaune?"

The blonde's expression instantly went from uncertainty to deadpan, "Pyrrha, I grew up with seven sisters. I became immune to stuff like that by the time I was eight." The Mistral champion did _not_ pout, but she did turn to resume glaring at the snow as if she expected lasers to shoot from her eyes.

The blonde knight sighed, and removed his backpack, "If it means that much to you, though, I'm willing to do it…"

Pyrrha's expression brightened instantly, and she gave Jaune another million-lien smile as she took a page from Nora's book and clambered onto Jaune's back, throwing her arms and legs around him.

Nora launched herself at Ren, a competitive glint in her eye, and resumed her customary perch. The martial artist was ready though, and merely let out a sigh as he adjusted to the familiar weight of his partner. "Race you to class, Fearless Leader!"

Ruby brightened at the word race, "OOOHH! I wanna get in on this! Come on Weiss!" The heiress barely had time to let out a startled squeak before Ruby had her partner slung over her shoulder like a well-dressed sack of potatoes.

The resident Schnee was not happy and was not afraid to show it. She began pounding on her partner's back furiously.

Ruby just giggled in response.

Yang turned to her partner, who merely stared at her impassively over the edge of her book, determined to be a bastion of sanity in the ocean of chaos. "What, you expect me to sit on your head, or something?" Blake asked, as she tried to resume her reading. Yang merely smirked and waggled her eyebrows in response.

Blake sighed, and put her book away, "Fine, I suppose I walked into that one," Yang scooped up her partner in a classic bridal carry and took her place next to Ruby.

"Alright, everyone! I want a nice, clean race! Or just a race, I guess…" Nora crowed, pumping her fist in the air, "Ready? GO!"

Ruby wasted no time, and immediately activated her semblance, taking off in a flurry of rose petals, leaving a wake of displaced snow to either side of her like a human snow plow. Weiss yelled all the while.

Yang was hot on her heels, literally, as she used her semblance to melt the snow around her. Blake was tucked close to her chest as she caught up to her sister.

Ren sighed as Nora seemed to squeeze his torso a bit harder than necessary with her legs, "MUSH!" she cried. Her partner set off at a brisk pace.

Jaune, who had been smart enough to back a few feet away before Ruby took off, merely shrugged at his friends' antics, before resuming walking at a normal pace, following the trail of his friends that was now completely devoid of snow.

Pyrrha smiled all the while, ' _Nikos 1, Icy Death O!'_ she mentally tallied, ' _MWAHA-HAHA!'_

 **XXX**

Jaune was becoming more concerned for his partner than usual. She was becoming even more moody than she had been and seemed to stay cold no matter how many layers of clothing she wore. Which was saying something since Jaune was with her when she obtained permission to wear a hoodie over her winter uniform outside of Combat Class.

She also sat next to him in every class. That wasn't unusual. They sat together for every class anyway. What was different was Pyrrha's proximity. She tended to sit as close to him as she could without actually being in his lap, falling just short of touching him.

It was beginning to get distracting.

He wasn't sure what to do about it. He certainly didn't mind it happening, but his already minimal ability to focus in Port's class was reduced to nothing with Pyrrha so close they could almost touch with little effort.

With only a few scant inches between them, Jaune was becoming enveloped in the scent of her designer shampoo and body soap. It made thinking with his brain a monumental task and kept bringing up memories of the first night the plushies arrived, a few months ago.

Pyrrha's breathy whisper as she called his name haunted his sleep, and many of his waking moments, too.

Part of the problem was his own fault really. After that first night with the plushies, he'd have to be blind not to realize that his partner felt _something_ for him beyond being his teammate and friend. The problem is, he just wasn't sure how exactly he was supposed to approach the situation.

Pyrrha was his partner, the most important person in his life. She had believed in him when no one else would, helped train him to pursue his dream of being a Huntsman, talked with him about anything and everything, put up with his dorkiness, and was his best friend.

Pyrrha Nikos was his rock. If he was certain of one thing it's that he was absolutely _terrified_ of losing that.

' _But so was Ren,'_ the knight aspirant thought, ' _And now he and Nora are stronger than ever.'_

The blonde sighed. He knew he had to make a move and was almost positive Pyrrha was attracted to him for some unfathomable reason. Yes, he was terrified of their relationship changing, but at this point, what bothered him most was the uncertainty.

Maybe Pyrrha liked him, and she was absolutely the most important person in his life. He had been stalling for months now. It was time to make a move.

He needed something grand and romantic. When he made his move, Jaune wanted there to be no doubt in Pyrrha's mind about how important she was to him. He needed something that put the full spectrum of his feelings on display.

But what?

He sighed again, back to square one, it seemed.

JNPR's leader was jolted from his thoughts by his partner resting her head on top of her arms at her desk and shivering. She looked miserable and seemed to be paying even less attention than he was.

He reached over with the hand closest to her, rubbing gentle circles on her back. "You okay, Pyrrha?" the blonde whispered.

The redhead turned slightly to face him, without lifting her head from her perch. Her gaze lacked the usual spark of life, and the young woman seemed to be operating as if in a daze.

"No, Jaune, I am miserable. I am cold. I am stuck listening to Professor Port prattle on about how great he used to be. And I am _freezing!"_ Pyrrha nearly hissed that last part, glaring down at her lap for a moment, "I'm from Mistral, Jaune. I'm used to warm, balmy, humid weather. I want to be able to wear short sleeves, take walks on the beach, and wake up to the warmth of the sun on my skin. I certainly do _not_ want to be surrounded by the icy death you call _snow."_

The amount of venom she put into that last word, accompanied by a glare at the frozen landscape outside would have impressed a Deathstalker.

Jaune's eyes widened. Sure, he knew Pyrrha wasn't a fan of cold weather, but he hadn't realized her feelings were quite this extreme. Clearly this had been building up for a while.

He immediately put any thoughts about grand romantic gestures from his mind. Pyrrha needed his help. On the heels of that thought came the image of the kind of outfits the champion might wear during her long walks on the beach.

The aspiring Huntsman fought valiantly to control his blush as he continued to rub circles along Pyrrha's back. Pyrrha gave an appreciative hum, smiling at her partner as some of the usual spark entered her eyes.

Without warning, Pyrrha closed the last bit of distance that separated them, and gently laid her head on his shoulder. Jaune could no longer fight his blush, especially when his partner took hold of the hand he had been using to rub her back and wrapped the arm around her shoulders.

That only seemed to make it worse, as Pyrrha buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, smiling, her lips so close to his neck, he can feel her breath tickling him. He could feel the blood rushing to his face as he manfully tried to suppress his reaction to Pyrrha's current position. His skin felt like it was on fire!

That only seemed to encourage her, as Pyrrha smiled, "So warm…" she murmured.

He swallowed audibly and did his best to take notes on _whatever_ Port had been saying for the last few minutes.

Something was _definitely_ wrong with Pyrrha, and Jaune had to help her.

 **XXX**

Jaune rinsed his mouth out, and spit into the sink. Satisfied that his teeth were clean for the night, Jaune exited the bathroom, and made his way over to his bed. He sighed as he saw his partner was once again embracing her inner burrito, wrapping herself in nearly every blanket they possessed, and snuggling with his plushie counterpart again.

At least Nora had stopped doing that, letting "Little Ren" stay on the study desk for display. Granted, that was because she had traded up to cuddling with the full-size model, but still…

He sighed again as he settled down to get some sleep. His thoughts were in turmoil, concerned with how to help his best friend, and at the same time wondering what sort of gesture would be grand enough to show the depth of his affections.

His last thoughts before drifting off into a fitful slumber were concerned with doing whatever it took to help his partner deal with the cold. He wanted the old Pyrrha back. He wanted his partner. And he would do anything to help her.

He didn't know it yet, but deep inside the depths of his heart, the all-consuming desire to help his most important person was felt.

His soul responded.


	8. Chapter 8

Jaune woke up slowly. He wasn't sure why, but he felt unusually hot. The room felt stifling, and his sheets were soaked in sweat. Jaune groaned as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. ' _'What's wrong with me?_ ' the blonde wondered as he struggled into waking, _'Am I coming down sick?'_

Jaune mentally shrugged and staggered his way into the bathroom to take a cool shower.

Once he was done getting ready for the day, Jaune sat on his bed so he could put on his shoes. He was distracted when their door opened, admitting his partner, who had just finished her early morning yoga workout, if her outfit was any indication.

Jaune gulped audibly as he took in the sight of Pyrrha Nikos in yoga pants. They accented her figure very well, a fact Jaune was acutely aware of now that it was being shoved in his face.

He pulled at his shirt collar, suddenly feeling vey constricted, ' _Is it getting hotter in here?'_ the blonde mused.

Pyrrha smiled warmly at her partner as she placed her gym bag on her bed, bending down to retrieve her deodorant from it before making her way to the bathroom.

Nora was the first to notice the scent of something burning, being rather familiar with many different sights, sounds, and smells of wanton destruction. "Fearless Leader, are you lying to yourself about your own strength again?"

Jaune shook his head to clear his thoughts as he turned to Nora.

"What were you saying, Nora?" the blonde queried.

"I wanted to know if you were lying to yourself about how awesome you are again."

The blonde quirked an eyebrow, still confused by his friend's question, "Why do you ask?"

The grenadier gave a rather pointed look at her leader's lap, "Because your pants are on fire."

The blonde looked down in disbelief to find that steam was indeed beginning to rise from his lap, and the tiniest traces of sparks were dancing across his jeans. Jaune let out a startled gasp, frantically patting his thighs to stop the sparks.

As if sensing her partner's distress, Pyrrha stuck her head out of the bathroom door, towel wrapped firmly in place, "Are you okay, Jaune? I heard screaming."

That didn't help Jaune much considering that the angle gave him a tantalizing view of a hint of cleavage. The knight frantically shut his eyes and turned away, "I'm fine Pyrrha! Everything's okay!" the blonde tried to reassure his partner as he tried to bring his awakened libido under control.

And then everything caught fire.

 **XXX**

Jaune screamed as the world around him erupted into flames. He could feel the flames lapping at his skin like a hungry animal as they tried to consume him. Nora let out a startled shriek, running to the kitchen to get a glass of water to throw on him. Jaune continued screaming.

Ren looked up, startled, and burst into action; grabbing a blanket and trying to smother the flames. Jaune just keeps screaming. Ren has a moment to wonder why exactly the blanket isn't burning due to the intense heat, when Pyrrha comes rushing out of the bathroom, towel clutched tightly around her, eyes filled with panic-stricken terror.

Ren removes the blanket long enough for Nora to splash their team leader in the face with cold water. It does little good, other than making Jaune stop screaming long enough to glare. This also had the unfortunate effect of making him notice the return of his partner, and her state of not-quite-dress.

Now, what could once be classed as a merrily burning blaze suddenly erupts into a raging conflagration of heat and flame.

Fire is now _super_ fire.

Jaune is just beginning to work up to a good scream again, when Ren places his hand over his team leader's mouth. Jaune's eyes widen in panic, Ren is going to get burned! The blonde's screams of protest are muffled, and slowly die down as the whole team stares in wonder…

Nothing bad was happening.

Team JNPR watched, amazed as both Jaune and Ren continued to be bathed in fire, and yet were unhurt. Everyone could feel the heat of the flames, there was no denying that they were real.

Why was Jaune burning but was not consumed?

Pyrrha, having enough standing on the sidelines, finally decided to take matters into her own hands. She switched places with Ren, and gently cupped her partner's face as she stared into his eyes. Drawing on her similar experience from the first time she activated her own semblance, Pyrrha tries to emulate the same soothing tones her mother used to calm her the first time her semblance activated.

"Jaune, it's going to be okay. Focus. Listen to the sound of my voice. Take a deep breath and relax. Once you calm down, the flames should dissipate."

Already accustomed to listening to Pyrrha's instruction during training, Jaune does his best to follow her orders. He takes a few slow, calming breaths, gazing into his partner's eyes.

' _Have they always been that green?'_ Jaune thinks between breaths.

Slowly, the fire begins to recede until it is gone entirely. JNPR gives a collective sigh of relief, and Pyrrha looks seriously at her partner. "Jaune, I believe we have just discovered your semblance."

Jaune's eyes widen in shocked understanding, as he comprehends what Pyrrha is telling him _. 'I finally have a semblance!'_

Ren and Nora immediately congratulate their leader as he gives them all a smile that could light Vale. Pyrrha smiles back at her partner, before becoming serious once again.

"You know what this means don't you, Jaune?"

The blonde team leader groaned, even as he smiled gratefully at his partner, "More training?"

The redhead smirked, "Yes, Jaune. You must learn to control this ability. So, training."

Jaune suddenly averts his eyes from his partner, blushing, even as he finds a spot on the wall behind her _fascinating,_ "That's, uh, great, Pyr. But could you just do one little thing for me first?"

"What's that?"

"Could you finish getting dressed, please?"

Pyrrha let out a squeak, blushing from her face, down to her navel, as she finally remembered her own state of dress at the moment. The champion takes off like a shot from Milo, practically teleporting back into the bathroom.

Jaune sighed in relief as his partner practically slammed the door to the bathroom shut, "Glad that's over…"

Jaune meant it too, for a brief moment, he could've sworn he felt his skin heating up again…

 **XXX**

Jaune and Pyrrha were standing in one of the sparring training rooms. After finishing her shower, the two teens made the trek to find an unused training room for space and quiet. Training a semblance, especially one as potentially destructive as Jaune's, required, space and focus.

"Okay, Jaune," Pyrrha began, entering what Jaune termed her 'Instructor Mode', "Can you remember what you were feeling this morning when your semblance activated?"

The blonde hesitated, uncertain. He of course remembered the sight of Pyrrha in her yoga pants, something he made certain to sear into his mind forever, but couldn't pin point exactly what had triggered the change from 'everything is normal' to 'everything is burning.'

Jaune struggled with a response, unsure what to say. He couldn't just come out and mention that he had been entranced by his partner in workout gear! That would go over great!

Pyrrha noted the hesitation on his face, and took the decision out of his hands, "Just tell me Jaune. That way, we can figure out the best way to begin your training. Don't think about it, just focus on the first thing you remember!"

Jaune, caught off guard by Pyrrha's sudden outburst, did exactly what she said, "You were in yoga pants!"

Now it was Pyrrha's turn to be confused, "I'm sorry? Your semblance trigger was yoga pants?"

Jaune took a deep breath, ' _May as well get it over with,'_ he thought.

"Just before Nora mentioned that my pants were on fire, and everything happened, you walked in. I remember thinking you looked really…nice in your workout clothes."

Now it was Pyrrha's turn to be flustered, she certainly never expected that response, "Are you telling me that you awakened your semblance, the reflection of your soul, because you thought I looked…nice in my outfit?"

Jaune gave a nervous laugh, as he stared at his partner's blushing face, "Um, yes?"

Pyrrha smiled shyly at him, how many young women could say their crush's very soul reacted to their choice of outfit? It made Pyrrha feel every bit the giddy schoolgirl that she was. At least it did until she realized someone left one of the windows to the training room open. Pyrrha shivered as the cool breeze hit her.

Watching his partner shiver was enough to trigger other memories of the night before. Jaune remembered watching his partner miserably curl up in her blanket fortress. He recalled the feelings of utter helplessness her suffering inspired in him. And his renewed determination to help his partner. Sparks flickered along his skin.

"That's it!" Jaune exclaims, now certain more certain of his motivation and rather relieved that it wasn't _just_ because of puberty or something.

Pyrrha was startled from her giddiness by Jaune's sudden shout, "What's it, Jaune?"

His excitement runs away with him, prompting the blonde to speak without thinking, "I noticed you were really cold last night. Well, I've noticed it since it started, but I remember thinking last night how much I really wanted you to be warm and happy again instead of tired and irritable all the time. I wanted my partner back! It wasn't just because I thought you were beautiful in your workout clothes!"

If Jaune's previous insinuation made Pyrrha giddy, his outright admittance that his semblance was manifested solely to help her filled her with a bubbling joy that seemed to fill her entire being.

She immediately responded with the first thing she could think of, hugging her partner with all her significant strength.

Jaune started turning red, not from embarrassment, but a lack of air.

Luckily, Pyrrha noticed, and released him quickly. Once the blonde had enough air in his lungs, he gave a sheepish laugh, before deciding it was time to finish laying his cards on the table.

"Look, Pyrrha, I know I'm not the most amazing guy or anything. Honestly, I've been agonizing over creating the perfect romantic gesture because I wanted to show you how much you mean to me, but I'm just going to come right out and say it. You are my best friend, my partner, the most important person in my life, and the most gorgeous woman on Remnant. But I want more from our relationship, and even though I'm scared of changing what we have, I really want to give this a shot. Will you be my girlfriend?"

The redhead didn't think it was possible to be any happier than she was, but she was wrong. She felt so happy, that she responded to her partner's question in a way that left little doubt as to her answer.

She kissed him.

Jaune's eyes widened, and he was frozen in a moment of disbelief that This. Is. _Happening._ Before he responded.

The kiss was clumsy, but the two teens were enthusiastic.

There may have even been tongue at one point.

Eventually, the new couple separated, due to lack of oxygen before smiling softly at each other. Jaune gave another nervous laugh as he gazed into his best friend's eyes, "Sorry it's not the grand gesture I had planned. I was actually thinking of getting a window garden and some seeds, and planting a bunch of your favorite flower in such a way that they spelled out 'Will you go out with me' to ask you out."

Pyrrha giggled as she pictured the scene, "While flower will always be welcome, you can't get much grander than awakening your semblance just to help me," she stated as she laid her head on Jaune's shoulder, taking note of his warmth. He was definitely a few degrees warmer than normal.

This gave Pyrrha a marvelous idea that would both help with Jaune's training, and give her a potent weapon with which to fight the Great Enemy.

"Jaune, let's go outside for this training. I have an idea that should help make this much faster."

The blonde was of course used to subservience during training, so he did not bat an eye at Pyrrha's suggestion. He was very aware of just how well their hands fit together though, when she grabbed his and nearly dragged him out into the cold.

 **XXX**

"Okay, Jaune. I need you to focus. Think of the fire within you. Feel it, and pull it to the surface."

Jaune closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He thought of Pyrrha's smiling face. The joy in her eyes at his confession.

The feel of her lips on his.

 _WHOOSH!_

Cue super fire.

Pyrrha watched ecstatic as Jaune's body was wreathed in flames. She basked in the warmth. And, the faint sizzling sound that signified the sudden melting of a significant amount of snow in their immediate area.

Pyrrha resisted the urge to cackle maniacally.

Barely.

"Okay, Jaune, now we are going to try focusing the flames to one specific part of your body. Eventually, this will hopefully lead to you being able to utilize your flames as a ranged offensive weapon."

The blonde smiled at the thought, ranged combat was a major weakness of his current fighting style after all.

"When my father was coaching me on how to use my semblance, we started with word association to help me learn to call it up as quickly as possible. I am going to give you a word, the ancient Mistralian word for 'fire'. When I say it, I want you to try to focus your flames into the palm of your hand. Ready?"

The blonde gave a resolute nod. He would not fail.

"Dracarys!"


	9. Chapter 9

It had been a few days of intense semblance training for Team JNPR. A pyrokinetic semblance like Jaune's had a lot of versatile options for combat and defense. This meant incorporating it into his new fighting style, and then into the team's fighting style.

Through a lot of often hilarious experimentation, the team had discovered that Jaune's semblance could in fact burn things, especially Grimm. He just had to concentrate, and will the flames to do so, since they were powered by his aura, they required an application of will to do more than serve as a heater.

It had been a long few days, especially when Team RWBY got involved.

"Have you tried cooking things on him?" Ruby asks as she gleefully ends another innocent cookie.

JNPR exchanges a look, staring back at her from across the lunch table, "Come again?" asks Jaune.

"Yeah! We totally use Yang's semblance to cook stuff! S'mores, popcorn, steak..." Ruby ends another cookie before its time, "Yeah. It's cooked by her semblance so it's all soul food."

Yang gives her sister a thumbs-up as Blake resists the urge to face palm, "That's not how soul food works." Blake mutters as she turns another page.

"Well," Jaune shrugs, "Anything for training, right?"

They are all startled by Ruby's sudden shout, "COOKING CONTEST!"

"Want to say that again, dolt? I don't believe they heard you in Atlas!"

"No guys, seriously," Ruby continues, as she happily munches another cookie, "We should have a cooking contest to help Jaune learn to control his new semblance. We get free food, plus we get to prove how awesome Team RWBY is!"

The other members of Team Ruby gave a firm nod at that. Team pride was now on the line.

"You're on!" shouted Nora, "Just don't cry to us when you lose!"

"We need a judge. Some third party that can be impartial." stated Ren.

Just then, Velvet appeared, eager to share some of her newest photos of some of the new transfer students with Yang and Blake. Purely for art appreciation, of course.

"Hello, everyone! Doing well?"

Ruby's grin became predatory, "Perfect."

 **XXX**

This is how Team CFVY found themselves the judges in what Ruby was calling the first official "Soul Food Semblance Cookoff Extravaganza!" Well, Ruby called it that, but everyone was pretty sure Nora helped with the naming.

Velvet, Yatsuhashi, Coco, and Fox sat eagerly around their usual table in the cafeteria, eagerly awaiting their dinner.

In the kitchen, however, things were anything but calm. JNPR and RWBY were finding out just how difficult it could be to prepare a real meal with nothing but the power of aura.

Blake was putting her skills with knife work on display, as well as making liberal use her cloning semblance to do everything in her power to secure a win for her team. Ruby, who was surprisingly handy with a baking pan, was making dessert. Yang was of course the team's "designated oven". Weiss was venturing into new territory, having never set foot in the "Food Room" as she called it.

This actually turned out to be a blessing, as her constant complaints did a lot to keep Yang irritated, and their heating source stoked.

"I hate you guys so much right now," Yang grumbled, "Do you have any idea what this much heat is doing to my hair? Do you?! If I have any split ends because of this, you'll pay. You'll all pay!"

Ruby just giggled as she finished mixing together the cookie dough for her chocolate chip cookies. "Just hang in there, Sis! Split ends are a small price to pay for being the best team ever!"

Yang continued to grumble, but sat still as Blake added the mushrooms, and onions to her pan seared chicken.

On the other side of the kitchen, JNPR was taking their teamwork to new heights. Though this was originally just an exercise to help Jaune learn to control his semblance, they were still competitive by nature. They would not lose if Jaune could help it. Luckily, the nature of his semblance meant that Jaune could create fire in one hand, and chop vegetables with the other. With his experience cooking for his large family, they were making good progress.

Nora was peeling and mashing potatoes to use as a side. Jaune was helping Pyrrha chop veggies to use for the salad, and grilling meat. Ren, being their undisputed master of pancakes, was busy making dessert.

Their dynamic hit a wall when Jaune's flames weren't burning hot enough to cook the main dish. In a moment of inspiration, and delegation, Nora turned to Pyrrha.

"We need to stoke Jaune's flames, Pyrrha! Luckily, I was prepared," she states, gesturing to a bag she had set down in the corner, "You'll find the yoga pants you wore yesterday in the corner. Go change in the bathroom. Keep your man motivated!"

Both Pyrrha and Jaune blushed, but the redhead did as suggested, running quickly to the bathroom to change at Nora's urging. It was to be JNPR's secret weapon.

It worked spectacularly.

At the sight of his beautiful partner and girlfriend in yoga pants, Jaune's soul was rejuvenated, his flames now burning hot enough to evenly grill the meat he was cooking. Jaune smiled. They were almost done. Ren and Ruby would have extra time to finish the desserts, but the main courses were nearly done. All that remained was presentation, and service.

Once Jaune finished grilling the other side of the main course, he and Ren quickly began to plate everything. Nora made certain there were no 'dreaded evil lumps' in the mashed potatoes, before making sure each plate got a healthy portion. Pyrrha plated the salad, before following Nora out into the cafeteria to begin serving CFVY their dishes. They felt confident, since Yatsuhashi was a big fan of steak.

RWBY meanwhile was frantically trying to plate the chicken for their dishes. Blake was making frantic use of her clones to get everything assembled. Ruby was cheerfully humming as she put the finishing touches on dessert.

Yang glanced over at the furiously cooking JNPR and couldn't resist a bit of teasing.

"You guys okay over there? If you can't stand the heat, you can always leave the kitchen!"

Ren and Jaune manfully ignored her attempt to distract them as they gathered everything they needed to finish the dessert. Luckily, both teams had agreed on using a regular oven for baking, not wanting to take chances with dessert.

Ren turned to his team leader as Ruby made her way out of the kitchen for the beginning of the judging, "Go ahead out there for the first round of judging, Jaune. I can handle getting the cake out."

"Are you sure?" the blonde asked, "Cream cheese icing can be tricky."

Ren gave a firm nod, so Jaune exited the kitchen into the cafeteria proper to wait with his team.

Out in the cafeteria, Jaune stood with Nora and Pyrrha in front of CFVY's table and awaited the ruling.

Coco, Yatsuhashi, and Velvet had already finished their pan seared chicken dishes that RWBY had prepared. Fox was taking his time, thoughtfully chewing his final bite of chicken with a contemplative expression.

CFVY had excellent poker faces though and gave away none of their thoughts as they started on JNPR's entry of steak, mashed potatoes, and carrots. Once they were finally finished, CFVY held a brief, non-verbal conversation in the way only close team mates could, before turning to the assembled contestants.

Coco started things off, smirking teasingly at all of her gathered friends, "For me this really comes down to presentation of the dishes, hot stuff. Did it look good enough to eat?" She asked with a wink, "In this regard, I have to give my vote to the chicken. The color variation of the veggies added more flare to the presentation. The steak was good, but it just looked boring and bland."

Team RWBY smiled, as Coco continued, "The steak was excellently done, though. It was tender and flavorful, and the potatoes were rich and smooth."

Nora gave a fist pump at that, glad she had vanquished all the evil lumps.

"For me," Coco critiqued, "The chicken was the better dish, simply because I'm not a fan of red meat, no matter how perfectly cooked. The veggies really added to the flavor and presentation."

Team RWBY had high fives all around while JNP waited with bated breath. Yatsuhashi did not disappoint.

"The steak was excellent. As far as I am concerned, this contest was over after my first bite of it. You really know how to grill an excellent steak, and the potatoes paired perfectly," the giant warrior praised.

JNP were all smiles at that declaration, Jaune now a little less nervous about his chances.

"The chicken was very tender, and the veggies were perfectly cooked. Very flavorful." The giant swordsman finished.

Fox was the next to pass judgment. The blind Faunus steepled his fingers in front of his face, taking a moment to consider his response, "Both dishes had a lot going for them. The chicken was flavorful, with an excellent presentation. The steak was tender with an excellent flavor. This was cooked using your semblances, correct?"

Both teams nodded.

"You can tell," the blind Faunus asserted, "I can almost taste the emotions that went into the dishes. My senses are very keen to aura, and as a result I can taste the trace amount of it present in the food. This is very good soul food."

Ruby gave a triumphant giggle, even as Blake fought the urge to face palm.

Fox continued, "I could taste the desperation in the chicken dish. It also had a bitter layer of anger. For me it ruined the flavor. The steak on the other hand is a different matter. The flavor was succulent, and the meat was tender. I could taste the passion that went into it. The flavor was bold and left me quite thirsty. With that in mind, I have to say that the steak was the better dish."

Jaune and Pyrrha laughed nervously. Nora just giggled.

At this point, RWBY was once again nervous, while JNP were quite happy. They were in the lead!

It all came down to Velvet.

The bunny Faunus took a moment to stare at her friends contemplatively, eyes locking with each contestant, before smiling brightly at them. "Well, everyone. I'd like to start off by saying that this has been a very fun contest. You all put forth some great efforts, and I really enjoyed having the chance to help judge your contest."

The contestants smiled brightly, bolstered by their friend's words, and put at ease.

So they were naturally caught completely off guard by her rapid shift in expression, going from serene and gentle to looking apoplectic with rage the next. WHICHEVER ONE OF YOU _**BLEEP-**_ ing IDIOTS COOKED THAT _ **BLEEP-**_ ing CHICKEN SHOULD BE ASHAMED! IT WAS EVEN MORE RUBBERY THAN YOUR TEAM'S _TOY_ COLLECTION YOU MISERABLE _**BLEEP-**_ ing _**BLEEPS!**_ THE VEGGIES WERE AS BLAND AND USELESS AS A PITY _**BLEEP**_ FROM A **BLEEP** COATED IN MUSCLE RELAXATION CREAM!"

RWBY and JNR looked on in confusion, and not a bit of fear as their normally bright and happy friend transformed into a rage fueled destroyer of self-confidence and dreams. As she gathered her breath to continue her rant, the contestants looked over to discover that Yatsuhashi was the source of the bleeping noise that was saving them from the worst of Velvet's diatribe.

The giant swordsman gave them an apologetic glance as his fingers continued to hover over his scroll, ready to censor the worst of his partner's critique, "Sorry, everyone. She watches a lot of Gris Forneau. He's her favorite celebrity chef."

Yang, Weiss, and Blake were currently cowering behind Nora, who was busy cowering behind Jaune, in the absence of her partner. Jaune remained surprisingly stoic as Pyrrha clutched his hand in worry. Ruby was just confused.

"What toys is she talking about, guys? The only toys in our dorm are the Grimm figures on our shelf."

"Now is not the time, Sis!" Yang responded before ducking back behind Nora.

They were interrupted by Velvet's steely gaze focusing on JNP, next. Now Pyrrha joined the que lining up behind the still stoic Jaune, as Ruby continued to look adorably confused.

"AND YOU THREE! STEAK IS SUPPOSED TO BE _**BLEEP-**_ ing _MEDIUM_ RARE YOU _**BLEEPS!**_ THIS IS STILL _**BLEEP-**_ ing BLOODY! IT'S SO BLOODY IT REMINDS ME OF THE GIRLS' LOCKER ROOM BATHROOM ONE WEEK A MONTH!"

Jaune winced at that, his professional pride stung. He looked on though as Velvet continued, voice resuming her normal cheer. The mercurial mood swing was honestly one of the most frightening parts of the whole diatribe. "The carrots were perfectly cooked, and even seasoned just right. For that alone, JNPR has my vote."

"That means we are going to need the tie breaker," Coco stated, smirking at her audience, "It all comes down to dessert."

Ruby gave a happy squeal, before rushing off in a burst of semblance, and returning with a tray of cookies. Or rather, what used to be a tray of cookies. There were only four left, just enough for the judges, and the team leader's cheeks were suspiciously full when she came back.

She gave a loud gulp before proudly displaying the tray to Team CFVY, who eyed the cookies suspiciously.

"I prefer oatmeal raisin, though these cookies smell delicious," Yatsuhashi said quietly.

Ruby gave a startled gasp, face paling as the tray slipped from her hands and clattered to the floor. Luckily, there was nothing on it, CFVY having taken their cookies already.

The next moment, Ruby went from shock to near frothing at the mouth rage. Her cloak billowed around her as she tried to bodily launch herself at Yatsuhashi. Luckily, Yang and Blake were ready for this, having anticipated her reaction to Yatsuhashi's comment.

The reaper fumed in almost inarticulate rage, "Let me go! We must burn the witch for his crimes against cookies! Jaune, start the pyre! He's a heretic I tell you! Heresy! Heresy!"

Yang rolled her eyes as she hoisted her sister over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, muffling her cries with her back, "Sorry about that, Ruby gets a little…defensive when someone mentions oatmeal raisin cookies. She thinks they're evil."

At that point, Ruby managed to raise her head enough to shout, "DEATH TO THE GREAT DECEIVER!"

Yang gave a nervous chuckle as she intentionally jostled her sister, making her stop.

CFVY looked on with expressions of bemusement as they chewed their cookies.

"This is quite good," Fox stated, "You can really taste the care and passion that was put into the cookie."

Yatsuhashi gave a thoughtful nod as he nibbled on his cookie. He wasn't really a fan of chocolate, but it was okay.

Coco thought that it tasted good, but cookies over all were so bland from a presentation angle.

Velvet was just disappointed. She had really been hoping for something else for dessert…

' _What is that delicious smell? Could it be!?'_

The sound of a staccato rhythm startled the group practically shaking the floor with its beat, a steady _Whump! Whump! Whump!_

Yatsuhashi gave an exasperated sigh as he reached over to place a calming hand on his partner's shoulder. It worked, marginally. Velvet stopped the thumping of her leg long enough to turn to her partner with a manic gleam in her eye, "Yatsu! They have it, my precious!"

The giant swordsman's placid demeanor melted away, replaced by shocked apprehension. He exchanged a nervous look with the rest of his team. This was happening.

Yang and Jaune felt the immediate shift in the atmosphere, elder sibling senses screaming at full alert. They exchanged their own wary glance and mentally braced themselves. Something was about to happen…

Their senses were proven to be just as sharp as ever when Ren finally exited the kitchen carrying Team JNPR's dessert entry.

The cake was a thing of beauty, and JNPR's secret weapon in this cooking challenge. The entire carrot cake was made from scratch, even the cream cheese icing was a combination of Ren and Jaune's own recipes, guaranteeing that the cake would be rich, moist, and delicious.

The _whump!_ noise became even louder, the rhythm more rapid as Ren got closer to the table. When Ren finally deposited the cake on the table, the noise was an almost low hum, each _whump!_ being indistinguishable from any other. The table as well as the judges' chairs had even begun to shake as though Beacon were experiencing an earthquake.

Once Ren set the cake down, the group turned to find that the mysterious phenomenon was courtesy of CFVY's Faunus team mate. She was rapidly tapping her feet on the ground like an overexcited toddler on a sugar high.

Velvet's eyes were fixed on the cake with a laser like intensity that was very similar to Ruby staring at an unguarded plate of chocolate chip cookies. Once Ren rejoined his team, she was quick devour her slice, and turn to the two teams to pronounce judgment, "THIS CAKE IS A _**BLEEP-**_ ing GIFT FROM OUM HIMSELF! IT'S SO MOIST AND SOFT IT REMINDS ME OF MY _**BLEEP**_ RIGHT NOW! IT'S _**BLEEP-**_ ing _**BLEEP!**_ JNPR WINS!"

Yatsuhashi wiped away the nervous sweat from his brow. He almost hadn't caught that in time.

The two teams exchanged uncertain glances, "Uh, shouldn't the other judges get a chance to vote?" Yang asked.

Coco smirked as she took a bite of her carrot cake, "Nah, Velvet is our undisputed expert when it comes to carrot cake. Like Ruby is for cookies."

The bunny Faunus gave the competing teams a smile before reaching for the remainder of the cake on the platter, quickly setting it in front of herself. Nora was just opening her mouth to protest when Velvet reached into her satchel and retrieved her camera.

Team CFVY immediately turned away, closing their eyes to prepare for what would happen next, "Hey! No fair!" Nora exclaimed, "There's enough cake there that we can all get a piece!"

Velvet smiled as she lifted her camera to her face, making sure that both teams were in her shot, "NEVER!" she exclaimed, "THE PRECIOUS IS MINE! BUNNY VANISH!"

The next thing teams RWBY and JNPR knew, the room was filled with blinding white light, and they all had to shield their eyes. When the spots finally cleared from their vision, the two teams looked around in confusion.

Both Velvet and the cake were long gone.

While Ren and Pyrrha did their best to console an upset Nora, Yang and Jaune turned to the remaining members of Team CFVY for the final judgment.

The upperclassmen shared a few silent glances before the ever stoic Yatsuhashi turned to address the assembled contestants, "I haven't seen Velvet that excited over food in quite some time. I think it's safe to say that JNPR wins."

The victorious team was quite thrilled with their victory, and eager to celebrate with their friends. So, of course teams RWBY and JNPR decided to celebrate by grabbing dinner in Vale. All that cooking had worked up quite an appetite…


	10. Chapter 10

While the eight heroes were busy celebrating Jaune's increased mastery over his semblance and giving a whole new definition to the term "soul food", another group was meeting within Beacon for a very different purpose.

The atmosphere was thick with tension as some of the most powerful and well-known people in Remnant gathered within the office of Headmaster Ozpin. Glynda Goodwitch  
stood behind the headmaster, peering over his shoulder, studying the footage on his computer terminal intently.

Standing in front of Ozpin's desk, hands clasped behind him, the newly arrived General James Ironwood, head of the Atlasian Military and Headmaster of its combat school was doing much the same, scrutinizing the holographic display with the full attention of his tactical mind.

Ozpin's best field agent and spy master, Qrow Branwen stood away from the others, leaning on the wall next to the door, while doing his best to make up for the fact that he had just had to spend the last few days out in the field gathering intel and staying sober.

Ruby and Yang's uncle wiped his mouth on his sleeve, before reminding the room's other occupants of his existence with a loud belch that seemed to echo in the office.

As one, they all turned to Qrow, away from the video of Jaune and Pyrrha's latest rooftop semblance training session, breaking the spell it had cast over the meeting since Ozpin first played it.

"We must confront the possibility that Mr. Arc has somehow inherited Amber's powers," Ozpin stated as he calmly took a sip of his coffee.

"You sure that isn't a Ms. Arc, Oz? I mean, kid doesn't exactly look very masculine. And I don't think I see an Adam's Apple, either."

"Well perhaps if you weren't so intoxicated...: Glynda muttered, giving him a pointed glare reminiscent of their school days.

"I'm just sayin'. I've picked up plenty of cute girls in bars while more drunk than this, and let me tell you, that's the first rule. If they don't have an Adam's Apple, they're a chick," Qrow defended, "I learned that one real quick after that one time..."

"Taiyang still has the pictures, too..." Goodwitch stated with entirely too much cheer.

"Ugh. Sure, Tai can knock half his team up and no one bats an eye. I have one too many and mistake his long hair for our cute blonde waitress and he never lets me forget it..."

James cleared his throat loudly in an effort to distract the two from what was getting ready to evolve into a rather loud argument, "Could we focus on the task at hand please?"

Glynda turned her glare onto Ironwood, none too happy with his presence or that fact that he had brought seemingly the entire Atlasian military to Vale, "Alright, James. How about we discuss why exactly you felt the need to invade Vale? Honestly, we give you a chance to be brought in on things, and you decide to pull something like _this_?"

To his credit, Ironwood remained unflappable in the face of Glynda's anger, though that began to be tested with Qrow now sufficiently intoxicated enough to completely disengage what little social filter he possessed, "What's the matter, Jimmy? Getting soft in your old age, so you decided to compensate with your large _fleet_?"

Before things could devolve any further, Ozpin stepped in to bring everyone to order, and address the point of the meeting, "Regardless of the presence of the Atlas fleet on our doorstep, aside from trying to find Amber's attacker, we must now focus on Mr. Arc as well. He could very well be in just as much danger as Amber if he truly does have her powers."

"Ozpin, this is absurd!" James retorted, "These Maidens do not have a monopoly on elemental powers! Several of my students have an element based semblance!"

"That is true," Ozpin acknowledged, "However, the sheer power and potential of Mr. Arc's abilities warrant caution, regardless. And consider this, James: If we truly have been infiltrated already, it is only a matter of time before the enemy comes looking…"

Ironwood may have been getting older, but his mind was as sharp as ever, "You mean to use that boy and his team as _bait_!"

"Sometimes in chess a few pieces must be used for a risky gambit of one is to secure victory. Sacrifices must be made."

"That is insane!" Ironwood retorted, "He's still a person! He isn't just some weapon!"

"Yes," Ozpin acknowledged as he took another sip of his coffee, staring James down over the rim of his mug, "and regardless of the fact that he is still a young boy, he is also potentially very dangerous. If Amber has somehow passed on her powers, then young Jaune Arc now possesses the ability to reshape the world as we know it with unfathomable power…"

 **XXX**

"Hey, Jauney!" Nora chimed, as she bounced on her bed, "the syrup Ren bought got left in the fridge again. Can you heat it up for me? Cold syrup doesn't pour well, and mama needs her fix!"

Jaune rolled his eyes in mock exasperation but sat up from his bed and put down his scroll. When Nora handed him the bottle of Ren's home-made syrup, "I'm starting to think you guys will just come up with any little excuse for me to train my semblance."

Even though he wasn't being serious, that statement wasn't far off the mark. Over the last month the rest of JNPR and RWBY had found quite a few uses for Jaune's semblance. Everything from heating up water for Ren's tea, to Blake using him as a human shaped reading light when the power went out in the dorms for a few hours.

Nora giggled as Jaune began to focus on activating the now familiar feeling of warmth that meant his semblance was now active. As the warmth spread through his body, making him glow with a soft, white light, he focused the feeling into his fingertips, and soon steam began to rise from the open syrup container.

They both stared in slight awe, before Jaune quickly put the glass container down when he noticed the syrup beginning to bubble.

"Thanks again, Jauney! Wow, you've really come a long way with your semblance! If we tried this a month ago, the syrup would have either evaporated or exploded!"

The two laughed, glad that this went well. Jaune returned to reading comics on his scroll, and Nora went back to her quest for satisfying her desire for fluffy pancake goodness. Ren and Pyrrha were currently doing a yoga workout in one of the training rooms, leaving their significant others to their own devices.

It was oddly quiet and peaceful, not a description usually associated with Nora Valkyrie, but it was true.

Until RWBY showed up.

Since they knew that Jaune and Nora's partners were away working out, their sister team knew they wouldn't be potentially interrupting any potential "partner bonding". They may be socially awkward, brash, teasing, prudish, and introverted, but they were _not_ clam jammers.

So, of course they burst into the room with little regard for the privacy of the occupants, "Hello~!" Yang chirped as she entered, "We're bored. You guys want to go clubbing or something?"

"Entertain us!" the youngest Xiao Long daughter demanded as she practically threw herself down into the chair of the JNPR study desk, right in front of JNPR's plushiest additions.

"Oh my gosh! Guys, look! It's the tiny adorable plushies we've heard so much about!" Ruby squealed, "Look at the tiny Jaune!"

She picked up the little Jaune and began to make bad kung-fu fight noises while flailing his arms around and making stabbing motions with his sword while her team looked on in amusement.

Jaune had no choice but to look on in abject humiliation as Yang then took the plushie from her sister and bent it over while making dry heaving noises. However, as the girls all giggled and fawned over the plushies, doing their best JNPR impressions to Nora's judgment, he was struck with a most cunning and brilliant plan.

"Ladies, I have an offer for you." the Arc stated as he clapped his hands to get their attention.

Nora perked up immediately, sensing the chance to have something she had been wanting for a while, "Ohhh, is it your grandmother's preserves recipe?! Those things were amazing! Almost as good as syrup on my pancakes!"

Jaune chuckled, "No. If Ren and I just gave out our secret recipes, they wouldn't be special anymore, would they? Plus, you'd eat yourself sick."

"You gonna take that?" Yang questioned Nora.

"He's not wrong," She admitted.

" I have something else in mind," JNPR's leader stated, "How would you girls like your own team plushies?"

"Go on," Blake insisted, as she put away the book she had been reading, focusing all of her attention on Jaune, "We're listening."

The blonde Huntsman in training smiled in a way that would have sent most sane people running for the hills in terror. Indeed, most of RWBY looked on in slight fear of Jaune's abrupt change in expression.

Except Weiss, who was finding herself strangely drawn to it.

"It's simple. A phone call, a few signed forms and some pictures, and you can have your very own plushie dolls in just a couple of weeks."

"What's the catch, Vomit Boy?"

"Well, I would get 1% of the profit for each plushie sold as a fee for setting everything up, of course."

"That seems reasonable," Blake acquiesced, "Anything else?"

"Well for me to really be able to sell the company on the idea, you guys will need to bring a few things. Mostly just wear your combat clothes and weapons. Oh, and Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"We'll need your motorcycle…"

And with that conversation, Remnant changed forever…


	11. Chapter 11

Ozpin leaned forward in his office chair, coffee forgotten as he studied the several-week-old footage of Mr. Arc's "cooking competition" against Team RWBY taken from the cameras in the cafeteria for what felt like the ten thousandth time. His tense expression was at odds with his calm analysis of the footage he was viewing.

' _Mr. Arc's semblance seems to be very similar to Ms. Xiao-Long's. It appears to burn brightly but is incapable of actual harm to people.'_

He once again doubted his theory as he watched Ms. Nikos reenter the room, and the resultant increase in intensity of the flames that Jaune produced. If they became any more intense, the Headmaster feared for the structural integrity of the kitchen.

' _So, Mr. Arc's semblance responds to intense emotions. Again, the similarities to young Amber Autumn cannot be ignored…'_

Ozpin leaned back to sip his coffee as the activity in the kitchen began to cease, relaxing as he once again thought about the potential of Jaune Arc somehow obtaining the status of Fall Maiden. It had been several weeks now, and he was still uncertain as what it all meant.

His confidants were certain that he was simply being paranoid and jumping at shadows. However, they were not cursed. They had no true grasp of the higher powers at work within Remnant, and the scope of the war that they truly fought.

After so long, and so many years, he could just tell. _Something_ was coming.

Sighing dramatically, Ozpin set down his coffee cup, glancing at the newest item to grace his desk, a birthday gag gift from Qrow, given to him because he would ' _Have about as much luck getting' answers from it as the videos you keep lookin' at.'_

Truly, he surrounded himself with a unique group of colleagues.

Still, Qrow did have a point. Ozpin still lacked information, and without all the information necessary, he would not act. Too much was at stake, and he needed to know more before committing to a course of action.

Reaching over to his scroll, Ozpin hoped that he would soon be able to correct this deficiency. As his most trusted scout Glynda began her weekly report on teams RWBY and JNPR, the Headmaster of Beacon resolved to keep to his usual strategy. _'It is not yet time to act. For now, we must wait…'_

 **XXX**

"What is this, Emerald?"

"Well ma'am, it's a plushie toy of one of the members of a team from Beacon. Team RWBY according to the records. This one is the leader, Ruby Rose. She even has weapon accessories, according to the website, but you have to buy those separately."

The deadly criminal mastermind just gave her subordinate a deadpan stare, "And _how_ exactly is this relevant to our mission? And hand me that bra."

"Well, they are very popular in Beacon right now, and they are gaining recognition in the other Kingdoms as well, in a very short amount of time. Hunter Team Plushies are considered a must have item by nearly every student of Beacon. If we want to blend in, we need to have one," the green haired young woman explained as she handed her boss the bra she requested.

She was grateful that her darker Vacuan complexion helped hide her blush, not that Cinder seemed to notice.

Emerald did her best not to linger too long on any one area, as her boss turned to her for inspection, making certain that her uniform was immaculate. Her throat went rather dry as she took in the sight of her boss's alluring curves packed into a school uniform, and she did her best to sear the image into her mind as Cinder tossed her dark hair over one shoulder, golden eyes glinting with confidence and danger.

"P-perfect as usual, ma'am. No one should be able to tell us apart from any other Haven guest student."

The temptress smirked as she sashayed up to Emerald, placing a hand on her cheek. Her eyes sparked with amusement as she felt the young woman tremble slightly from her touch, caressing her skin as if she were a favored pet, before reaching over to gently smooth down an unruly lock of Emerald's hair.

Nodding in satisfaction, the would-be seductress continued her way to the door, before stepping out into the hallway to meet the other member of her team, Mercury, waiting in the hall. Just as she was about to leave the room, she turned to Emerald, calling over her shoulder, "Coming?"

It took the green haired illusionist a moment to reboot her brain from the last few moments, but she managed. Emerald gave a full body shudder, and took a very deep breath, before beginning to follow dutifully behind her boss, "Yes, Cinder."

Once they were out in the hall, Cinder was all business, taking the Ruby Rose plushie from Emerald, and holding it in her hand, while she decided what to do with it. She stared down at the thing as she walked, trying to understand its appeal. Frankly, it's wide, naïve stare, cherubic face, and tiny, soft body inspired the exact opposite reaction from what the designers likely intended.

It reminded the woman far too much of her old self before her Mistress had found her: Trusting, naive, _weak…_

She was fighting the urge to set it on fire.

Observing the people around her for insight didn't help in the slightest. She understood the words they were speaking of course, but the context? Not at all. The new meaning of the terms escaped her, and it was both confusing and infuriating.

Cinder womanfully repressed the urge to sigh in agitation, as her team passed a group of chattering Huntress students, their crisp, spartan white uniforms marking them as students of Atlas Academy. She really didn't comprehend the snippets of conversation she was hearing.

' _White Rose? Hot Coffee? Arkos? What on Remnant do logistics have to do with anything? Shipping, indeed. Is it some sort of secret Atlasian code?'_ the false Maiden wondered, ' _I really don't understand average people.'_

It became even worse when she noticed that almost every single student was sporting a plushie of some sort like they were some sort of fashion accessory, standing around in groups and talking about them as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

She gestured to Emerald, who quickened her pace until she was right beside her, instead of behind. Cinder turner her head slightly, talking as lowly as she could, despite the chance that their conversation was unlikely to be heard in the crowded dorm, "Is this a cult? I feel like this is a cult."

"What do you mean, Cinder?"

"Look at all of them. They are all carrying around these things, chattering about them as if they are the most important things in the world, to the exclusion of all else. They even have their own language. All they need now is to start praying in tongues and they will complete the cult brainwashing checklist, ´Cinder explained, "What does shipping even have to do with anything?"

This time Cinder was quick to notice Emerald's flushed face, her subordinate's embarrassment clear, "Well, do you know something? Tell me!"

"W-well, ma'am, I did a bit of research when I acquired our plushies. Shipping refers to the active desire of a person to see a certain pair or group of more in a romantic relationship. The pairing or group is given a name and referred to as a 'ship'. I'm uncertain as to why."

This explanation was met with a blank, unbelieving stare, "What?" Cinder asked in a tone flatter than pancakes.

"Um, yes, ma'am. That's the explanation I was given..." Emerald confirmed nervously.

"That settles it. This truly must be a cult. Listen, this is very important: If someone comes up to you, offering a drink, do not take it! I refuse to have our plans derailed by the next unhinged Gin Jones copycat..."

"Um, sorry Cinder, but, Gin Jones?"

Cinder once again stared at her subordinate in disbelief, "You know! Gin Jones! The cult leader that convinced all those humans and Faunus that joined him to follow him in a joint suicide pact by drinking alcohol laced with a cocktail of poisons?"

When Emerald, and even Mercury, who had made his way to her other side just gave her shrugs of incomprehension, she snapped out, "It was on every news network for almost two months! People talked about it constantly!"

"When was this exactly?" Mercury asked.

"It was only five years ago!"

"Well now I know I'll have to search the news archives for more information," Emerald muttered as she tapped away on her scroll.

"It's practically a current event!" Cinder insisted, doing her best to rein in her anger, as she gave more serious thought to burning the plushie in her hand.

"Uh, hate to break it to you, boss, but five years ago is definitely not a current event. It's practically ancient and dead in media years..."

Cinder bristled at the implications in his tone, the rage filled glare she shot him promising him suffering and death in the very near future.

Once her lackey was properly cowed, Cinder returned to the task at hand, practically stomping as she continued forward, anger simmering just below the surface _, 'Fools, the lot of them,' she decided, 'When we set our plans into motion, we'll be doing these brainwashed sheep a favor...'_

The villainous trio kept up the brisk pace set by Cinder until they were nearly out of the dorms, when Cinder suddenly stopped, distracted by an odd event. There, sitting on the door handle that led to the rest of the campus, was another plushie. This one was of a blonde male, with blue eyes, with white chest and shoulder armor. He was dressed plainly in jeans and a hoodie, of all things. Far from the typical flamboyant Huntsman attire.

She looked down at the plushie in her hand again, before quickly snatching the one on the door up, and replacing it with the infuriating Ruby Rose one, _'At least this one is somewhat cute and tolerable in a puppyish sort of way,'_ Cinder mused.

With her new plushie secure and displayed prominently in the pocket of her school blazer, Cinder opened the door to the campus proper, ushering her subordinates forward.

"Ow!" Mercury exclaimed, "What the hell hit me?!"

"Quiet, Mercury! Your aura can heal whatever it is. We need to stay focused. I refuse to be late for combat class. It will give us a good chance to scout the students for potential Maiden candidates Ozpin is likely to use. Start a list, Emerald, and be on the lookout for anyone exceptional or noteworthy."

"Yes, ma'am" her followers chorused, though Mercury was still scowling and rubbing the back of his head furiously.

As the students made their way to class. perched unseen on one of the emergency exit signs at the end of the corridor, a tiny Pyrrha plush laid prone, rifle Milo aimed directly at the door that Cinder and company had just exited...


	12. Chapter 12

"Guys, did it seem like Professor Goodwitch was glaring at me extra hard in class today? More than usual, I mean…"

"Perhaps she just noticed the changes in your form during our match, Jaune. Your fighting style has evolved now that you have your semblance, after all…" Ren offered as he checked the time on his scroll, before adjusting his stance to account for Nora's added weight.

"Maybe," Jaune muttered, "Yeah. That's probably it."

"She was probably in awe of the fact that you set your sword on _fire_!" Nora cackled, "Ruby's eyes got so big when she saw that, I think a Nevermore could have flown into them. Now mush, Renney! I'm hungry!"

Pyrrha giggled, reaching out to give Jaune's hand a discreet squeeze of reassurance and pride before slipping behind him so that he could use his semblance to clear the way of snow now that they were alone on the walkway, "It was very funny to see her rush out after class, dragging the rest of her team with her so she could figure out how to add 'awesome fire powers' to Crescent Rose."

Jaune chuckled, "Yeah, the looks on everyone's faces helps make up for Ren sweeping my legs out from under me and making me hit my head on my own shield. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't exactly fun, or conductive to a positive image to impress the guest students."

"Sorry about that again, Jaune. You over extended and I took the opening. Admittedly, I expected you to let go of the shield, and catch yourself, but you still managed a decent recovery roll."

"It's no problem, Ren. And hey, I'll remember for next time. Now let's get some lunch, I'm really hungry."

With that, Team JNPR continued their trek to the lunchroom. At least until they noticed something very odd about the decorations. Nora, having the high ground, was the first to notice the pattern, "Uh, guys, have you noticed all the plushies?"

"Well of course there are, Nora. Jaune is the one that got this strange cultural fixation started, after all…" Pyrrha chimed in, as they entered the final corridor between them and the cafeteria.

"Yeah who would have thought delivering RWBY's plushies to them in the cafeteria while we were having lunch with CFVY would have led to this?" Jaune wondered.

"No! Guys, not _that_! I mean that there are a lot of plushies around us right now! _US_ plushies!"

The rest of JNPR began to look around, finally taking notice of the fact that there were a lot of Team JNPR plushies scattered around the corridor, in sets, grouped together with their respective real-life partners

"Wow, it looks like someone is taking their shipping _way_ too seriously," Jaune declared, as he took note of a plushie of himself and his partner leaning against each other like a snuggling, relaxed couple.

Whoever decided to put this together didn't stop at cuddling, though. JNPR passed several other plushie partner pairings engaging in much more risqué acts. Everything from a Ren with a Nora plushie straddling his lap, to a scene that caused Pyrrha to blush all the way down to her chest, and march over to scold her plushie like a misbehaving child before snatching her up. It featured a Pyrrha laying on her stomach, blindfolded with her sash, and restrained with ribbon, with a Jaune plushie standing behind her.

"We are not the kind of girl that would just do this out in the open for everyone to see! What would Mother say?! For shame, young lady!" Pyrrha exclaimed, as she untied her plushie counterpart and set her in her bag.

Pyrrha paused, glancing down at the Jaune plushie, before returning to her team. Was she imagining things, or did the plushie Jaune look disappointed?

"Just so we're clear," Jaune began as they resumed their awkward walk to lunch, "You only seemed to have a problem with the fact that plushie us were doing that out in public. Does that mean it's something you might want to try, um, in private? When we decide to take that step?"

Despite that they had been secretly dating for nearly two months now, Pyrrha still found herself caught off guard sometimes by Jaune's surprising willingness to communicate his feelings, and his attentiveness to her own wants. Ironically, he was much less oblivious and more confident mow that they were in a relationship.

"Um…yes?" Pyrrha squeaked, "I mean, I've given it some thought. I know we haven't exactly talked about it yet…"

Jaune smiled. "How about we each write a list for this stuff and talk about it later, okay?"

Pyrrha gave her boyfriend a coy smile, and a quick peck on the cheek for his thoughtfulness.

Progress came to an abrupt halt just before they opened the cafeteria doors, however, because Nora began to blush before clamping her hands over her steed's eyes, causing Ren to sigh and stop moving. "I need to see to be able to move, Nora."

"Ren, you can't right now until Jaune and Pyrrha move the plushies of the two of us that have been taped above the door. Some degenerate placed them there doing something… _lewd."_ She whispered, "I…I'm not ready yet…"

"I must admit to being curious now. I mean, we just had what amounts to a family discussion about our sex lives that involved creative use of a sash, complete with visual aids. What else is there at this point?"

"Renny, they were..uh… _hand holding."_ Nora whispered furtively, glancing up to see that Jaune and Pyrrha had removed the plushies from the doorway, and blushing madly.

"I see," Ren noted, fighting his own urge to blush, "In that case it's probably for the best."

With the plushies properly stowed away, JNPR finally entered the lunch room, getting their food, and sitting down at their usual table, just before they were joined by a rather preoccupied looking RWBY. Weiss was scowling while muttering about corsets and someone called the Queen of Leather. Blake was smiling softly, looking at everyone gathered at the table, and writing.

Yang looked simultaneously as though Winter Maiden's Day had come early and filled with sisterly protectiveness, one arm wrapped around Ruby's head, and the other pulling out her chair.

"Yang! Can you let me go now?! I can't eat my strawberries or cookies if I can't see!"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that, sis!" Yang said, as she took her customary seat next to her partner, "Just had to make sure there weren't any more degenerate plushie scenes around."

"Degenerate plushies?" Jaune wondered, "Someone pranked you guys too, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so," Ruby confirmed, as she ushered a strawberry onto the start of its pilgrimage through her digestive system, " Wasn't a very good prank though. It was just a bunch of plushies of us with our partners, standing up or laying down on top of each other."

Everyone stopped for a moment, staring at Ruby before resuming their meals, "She is just too innocent for this world..." Yang said, voice thick with sisterly affection. Everyone nodded in agreement.

 **XXX**

"Emerald, I want you to follow that boy we saw from combat class. He clearly wasn't using Dust in his fight earlier. That had to be his semblance." Cinder ordered as the team made their way back to the dorm, finally done with classes for the day.

"Yes, ma'am. Do you really think he could be that much of a threat, though? Based on his performance, he must have only unlocked his semblance recently. He seemed very unfamiliar with it."

"I gotta say, Boss," Mercury chimed in, "I doubt the kid would be much of a threat, especially if we closed the distance on him. Sure, he made his sword light up, but that's nothing special."

"I'm surprised at you two," Cinder declares, "I would think you of all people would know not to judge someone's potential based solely on appearances."

Emerald flushed in embarrassment, keenly aware of the irony. Mercury just looked bored.

"Now don't think, obey." Cinder firmly ordered, turning to regard her subordinates with a flame enhanced glare.

Mercury and Emerald exchanged a glance, "Yes Ma'am," they chorused. With a final nod to her leader, Emerald departed.

She soon found herself stalking her target through the halls watching him interact with his team and friends. He seemed painfully ordinary, awkward, and hopeless. She took Cinder's concerns seriously, but still could not fathom how anyone could be this talentless and still be alive in this profession.

 _For Oum's sake! The idiot almost choked to death trying to eat and laugh at the same time during lunch!'_ Emerald lamented. If it wasn't for the intervention of his redhaired teammate, her target may well have died.

Things continued to be uneventful for a time, until Emerald finally struck pay dirt from an overheard snippet of conversation between her target and his friends in the library, inviting them to the Emerald Forest to see a new technique he had been working on.

' _This sounds promising._ ' _Let's see where it goes…'_

With that Emerald found herself following the eight students as they made their way toward the edge of the forest. She was grateful for their large group size and inane chattering, it helped her mask the sound of her own footsteps. Her illusionary semblance worked best with eye contact and required more concentration and aura than she had to spare to work on a group of people.

Luckily for her, she didn't have to go far, taking cover behind a conveniently large tree once the group made it just past the tree line.

"Come on, Jaune! It's cold out here! If you're going to drag us out, could you at least do something about it?" the youngest of the group whined. Emerald thought it made her look like a kicked puppy. She'd seen that trick plenty on the streets.

Her target sighed, and the next thing she knew, she was shielding her eyes and ducking back behind her tree for cover when a bright light seemed to wash over the immediate area. When she could see again, Emerald poked her head around to see something incredible: All the snow around them was melted, leaving a perfect circle of visible forest floor.

The rest of the group around her target was suitably impressed. His partner was even trying to laugh maniacally as she gazed at the bare earth around her. Honestly it was adorable.

' _That level of control is incredible! He didn't show any of that during his fight! I don't even know if Cinder could do that so easily!'_

The green haired assassin was even further amazed when the blonde began speaking again, "Okay, okay. Now that that's taken care of, it's time for the reason I bought you all out here. You know how I'm not so great at ranged combat?"

"If by not so great, you mean 'non-existent,' then, yes." A girl dressed in a white skirt of all things replied.

The entire group laughed, even her target. "Yeah, you got me there, Weiss. However! I, Jaune Arc have developed a new and amazing technique with my semblance that will change all that forever!"

"Well go on! Don't keep us in suspense, Vomit Boy!" a blonde Huntress called out.

"Yes, Jaune. We're all very eager to see this new move you've been working on," the statuesque Pyrrha Nikos proclaimed.

With that the young man smiled before urging his audience to take a few steps back. Once he deemed them back far enough, the blonde held his arms down, away from his side, palms facing the ground and fingers spread.

Emerald watched him take a deep breath, before his hands began to glow, wreathed in flames. After a moment, the flames spread outward, striking the earth in a corona of heat.

It was unclear exactly what the point of this was until she noticed something else: The boy was floating!

Her target had figured out a way to use his flames as a form of propulsion! Granted, Cinder could also do the same thing, and over a much greater distance, but she had the magical abilities of a Maiden! She was a magical force of nature! What Emerald was currently seeing should be impossible for someone without the Maiden powers.

Emerald chanced a look at the information they had managed to gather from the few classes they had had today. Yes, Jaune Arc was indeed a boy. There was no way the Maiden powers had passed on.

The next moment shattered everything she thought she knew.

Her target rose higher and higher off the ground, before flames seemed to come pouring out of his entire body, wrapping him in a cocoon of fire. After a moment, the sphere solidified itself into a new shape: A large bird.

Emerald had to squint to make it out from this distance, but she could see the outline of the boy in the center of the bird construct, unharmed and smiling.

In that moment, Emerald felt her insides turn to liquid as she witnessed a feat of elemental manipulation she doubted even a Maiden could pull off. That fear only grew when she heard the boy proclaim, "Look guys! I'm a Nevermore!" He then began to perform a series of aerial acrobatics, much to the amazement and delight of his audience.

Emerald ducked back behind her tree, using her semblance to hide herself when she noticed her target pass close to her hiding place. Her naturally dark complexion had paled considerably, and she found herself shaking, _'Cinder was right,'_ she thought darkly, _'You really can't judge someone on appearances alone. Whatever this guy is, he could ruin our whole plan!'_

She glanced up warily, praying to Oum that her target didn't somehow notice her as he flew around in circles overhead, to the amazement of his friends like some sort of ultimate cosmic, elemental force of existence…

Using her semblance and every ounce of her stealth skills, she made her way back to the dorm as quietly as she could, while behind her, her target's friends congratulated him on his amazing new ability.

Once she was back inside Beacon proper, and away from her target, she decided to abandon stealth entirely, making a mad dash back to the guest dorms and the safety of Cinder's presence.

Emerald took a few deep breaths to hopefully calm her nerves and collect her thoughts before opening the door to her room. She couldn't very well give an accurate report if her heart popped out of her chest.

Once she felt a heart attack wasn't immanent, she quickly entered the room, gaining the attention of her team quickly.

"What's wrong with you?" Mercury asked, "The shops run out of waxing kits, and now you're stuck with that unibrow?"

Emerald was too concerned with keeping her heart rate under control to even pay attention to her partner's insults. "Cinder, ma'am, we have a major problem."

Her team leader put down the scroll she was using, turning her chair to face her disciple, and arched an eyebrow, "Tell me everything…"


	13. Chapter 13

Once she was certain her underlings were gone, Cinder summoned the insectoid Grimm that served as her emergency contact to Salem. If anything qualified as an emergency, this was certainly it. She womanfully suppressed her urge to shiver as the thing crawled across her skin, before it reached her hand, staring at her. Soon it began to glow, filling the room with a rich purple light, before the face of her Mistress, the Grimm Queen Salem was projected into the room.

"I trust you have something worthwhile to report? This method of communication is only to be used in an emergency." The Grimm Queen enunciated quietly, voice low and ever so slightly menacing as she stared down her apprentice.

Cinder was down on one knee, head bowed, body language the picture of subservience, "I do, Mistress." Cinder stared at the floor, making sure to keep her gaze averted until given permission. "It concerns our plans for Beacon. There has been a…startling development."

"Oh?" Salem asked curiously, red eyes narrowing, "What is that fool Ozpin up to now? Look at me and speak."

Cinder did so, giving her mistress the same report that her apprentice had given to her.

When she had finished, Cinder watched her leader closely, as her eyes narrowed in thought.

"It should be impossible for Ozpin to bestow more magic onto someone else. His magical reserves have faded significantly over the years after he passed the mantle of his magical power on to them." Salem mused, tapping her fingers on her throne as she thought.

"If the Maidens have taken his place as the ultimate conduits of magic, is it possible that the one I wounded has found a way to bestow her powers on to him?" Cinder questioned.

"Hmm. That may be possible. Magic is an everchanging thing, after all, it's true inner workings and rules a mystery even to myself. It is also entirely possible that the gods have finally tired of the fool, and chosen to replace Ozpin with someone else. Regardless, it is vital that we turn him to our cause. With his power our plans are guaranteed success."

"What do you need me to do, Mistress?" Cinder questioned.

"It's simple, my child," Salem purred, smirking down at her follower, "You're a young, beautiful woman and he is a bumbling naive teenage boy. Your task should be simple: Seduce Jaune Arc by any means necessary…"

 **XXX**

"Emerald, I need you to accompany me on this newest mission. The plan has changed, and it is imperative that Jaune Arc be seduced to our side."

The green hair thief's breath nearly caught in her throat, she could hardly believe her ears. Was Cinder asking her to...? Was this her chance? Emerald fought to keep her voice steady, even as she mentally planned what lingerie to wear for the occasion. Her body was ready!

"Yes, ma'am," she responded, "Just let me change my clothes and I'll be ready to go."

"Change? Whatever for? Leave what you're wearing on. It'll make me look better by comparison. A chaperone shouldn't be too concerned about their appearance during these things, anyway. I'll need Arc's full attention on me."

In that moment, Emerald's hopes were snuffed out by confusion, "I'm sorry for all the questions, Cinder, but...Chaperone?"

"But of course!" Cinder exclaimed, looking mildly affronted, "As if I would ever engage in such a mission unescorted! Wouldn't want everyone to think that I am some sort of strumpet or lady of the night!"

"Sorry, a what now?" Mercury queried, abandoning his scroll game for his curiosity.

"A strumpet!" Cinder insisted, "A loose woman! A Jezebelle!"

"Wait, so you need one of us to accompany you on a _seduction mission_ so that people don't think you're a slut?" Mercury asked, incredulous.

"Precisely. A woman is nothing without her reputation."

With that, Cinder turned back to her mirror, making certain that her uniform's skirt was unwrinkled. It wouldn't do to make a bad first impression after all. When she was certain that everything was in order, she gestured for Emerald to follow, eager to begin the search for her prey.

It took a surprisingly short time to locate her target, spotting him walking towards them with his partner in the direction of the library. Her hands tensed as she reached into her pocket, readying her weapon. As soon as she was within range, she struck!

"Excuse me, ma'am. I think you dropped this…"

Cinder displayed her sexiest smile, perfect lips on full display, as she turned to the blonde, reaching out to retrieve her silk handkerchief _, 'Perfect. All according to plan…'_

"Why thank you, kind sir. Such a gentleman," Cinder cooed, making certain to brush her fingertips along his palm as she retrieved her weapon. _'The targeted contact aphrodisiac should take effect any moment now, making him putty in my hands..._ '

The blonde gave a nervous chuckle, clearly unused to attention from a woman as beautiful as herself. "It was no trouble, really," the boy insisted modestly, "I was happy to help."

Cider held out her hand again, palm down, but was confused when he didn't kiss it as was proper, instead opting to shake it. Still, she recovered quickly, putting on her best sultry smirk as she introduced herself, "Cinder Fall. Charmed, I'm sure…"

The blonde chuckled nervously, releasing her grip as he introduced himself, "Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you. This is my partner, Pyrrha Nikos."

"Hello!" the tall redhead greeted, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Cinder could feel the girl's insincerity from here, "This is my teammate, Emerald." The girl gave them both a wave but remained silent.

Now Cinder tried a different track, opting to get much closer to Jaune and beginning to speak slowly and breathily, reaching out to fix one of the buttons on his uniform, absently _. 'The increased heart rate should help the compound work faster…'_

"My teammate and I are new to the area, we've just transferred in from Mistral. Perhaps a strapping young man such as yourself would be willing to give two young women the tour?" Cinder queried, making certain to place a hand on his shoulder, leaning forward slightly to give him the barest glimpse of her cleavage since her top button was unbuttoned.

His partner tensed visibly, her grip tightening on her bag, Cinder noted.

The young man gave her a nervous chuckle, face going completely red as he backed hurriedly away. Despite this, he still maintained his politeness, "Maybe, sometime."

Jaune answered, "My team and I should be able to show you around easily enough, sometime. There isn't much to see, honestly. It's just classrooms, mostly."

The teen backed up quickly, almost retreating behind his tall redhaired companion as he chuckled nervously again. Cinder took note of the sweat forming on his brow, even as she dismissed the thinly veiled glare her target's partner was giving her.

"Very well then," Cinder purred, giving the boy her most smoldering look as his partner began practically dragging him in the opposite direction, "I'll see you very soon, _Jaune._ "

Cinder was unconcerned with the glare that Nikos was shooting over her shoulder, while beside her, Emerald shivered, "W-what should we do now, Cinder?"

"Now, my apprentice, we wait. Tomorrow we begin phase two…"

Cinder strolled into the cafeteria for breakfast the next morning feeling supremely confident. By now the aphrodisiac had had plenty of time to work its way into Arc's system, ensuring he would have spent the entire night consumed with thoughts of her. It was almost like a fairytale romance, if one ignored the drugs. It almost made her feel like a princess…

The femme fatale put on her best sultry smirk, and with Emerald once again in tow, made her way to Arc's table, taking note of all the extra people sitting with him. There was his partner, and the other two members of his team, as well as four other girls sitting across from him.

The would-be temptress put an extra sway in her hips, as she approached her target, "Jaune! Fancy meeting you here!" Cinder called, "Did you sleep well?"

The blonde looked up sharply, startled, nearly choking on his orange juice. His partner rubbed his back gently, glaring at her.

"Uh, hello, Cinder. Uh, yeah, I slept well. A bit chilly last night, but fine. How about you?"

"Oh, I slept wonderfully, Jaune. I did get a bit lost yesterday, though. Perhaps we could have that tour later? I'm very interested in getting to know the school's layout better…"

The blonde chuckled nervously, "Uh, yeah. My team and I can show you around later, if you like. Here, let me introduce you…."

Once all the introductions were finished, Cinder making a note to memorize the names of her future targets, she continued her assault, making a show of playing with her hair, as she tried to get closer to Jaune, "Any chance my teammate and I could have breakfast with you? We haven't had a chance to get to know anyone else…"

Her plans were halted in their tracks by the other blonde sitting at the table.

"No way!" Yang declared, "You can't sit with us!"

"Don't be rude, Yang!" her whitehaired team mate insisted.

"No way, Weissey! She doesn't even go here!" the girl declared, eyes gaining a red tint.

"Besides," her Faunus team mate declared, "I don't think Jaune is into older women, else he would have been chasing Professor Goodwitch around instead on Weiss."

Cinder did her best not to let her shock and rage show on her face, save for a narrowing of her eyes. "I'm sorry, but are you insinuating that I'm old? I'll have you know that I am a normal 17-year-old, just like you."

Yang smirked, red eyes showing mirth as she declared, "Oh honey, there's not enough moisturizer in Vale for you to be able to make that claim. Now how about you stop trying to cuck my girl P-Money, and go somewhere else?"

"Yang, what does cuck mean?" Ruby asked, eyes widening as Blake leaned over to whisper into her ear, "What?! You mean she's trying to sink my ship?!"

The short girl glared up at Cinder, though the effect was somewhat ruined by her cherubic face and milk mustache, "You leave my OTP alone! Arkos is love! Arkos is life! Now go choke on an oatmeal raisin cookie, you…antique!"

"D-did you just call me an antique?" Cinder seethed, voice a menacing hiss.

"Well if the shoe fits~!" Nora caroled.

Yang ruffled her sister's hair in congratulations even as Emerald just had to ask, "I'm sorry, but how are oatmeal raisin cookies an insult? Is that a joke? They're delicious!" She also made certain to keep her hand on her boss's shoulder to keep her from doing something rash, like burning the cafeteria to the ground.

She looked furious.

The red cloaked Huntress glared at Emerald, "Okay, A: I never joke about the Great Deceiver, defiler of chocolate and bane to strawberries. And two: Blasphemy! Burn the oatmeal raisin eater! She's a witch! A witch!"

Emerald led Cinder away from the group, even as the red cloaked girl's friends did their best to keep Ruby from chasing after them. She even heard Jaune's redheaded partner say to him, "I'm arranging for you to have lunch with my father tomorrow, Jaune. It'll be safer. Besides, we'll need his approval soon, anyway…"

Once they were far enough away, Cinder seemed to regain her self-control enough to tamp down on her fury.

"Antique?! Antique?!" Cinder whisper muttered, "I'll show them! I shall visit upon them suffering the likes of which they have never known! We may even be able to awaken the dragon ahead of schedule…"

"Cinder, what do you mean?"

"I have a plan. If all works out accordingly, we may even be able to move forward ahead of schedule."

"If you say so, ma'am. But we really should go back to the dorm and get Mercury, so that we aren't late for combat class." Emerald cautioned, doing her best to sound as submissive as possible.

Cinder waved a hand dismissively, unconcerned for now. "In a moment, Emerald. I have something to attend to first," taking out her scroll, Cinder dialed an untraceable number to one of her assets in Vale. "Hello, Roman. I have a task for you…"


	14. Chapter 14

For once Mercury led the way into combat class, his boss silently seething and plotting behind him, while his partner hovered around her like a lovesick dog Faunus. _'I really don't know why she bothers.'_ Mercury thought, ' _I bet the boss would be a really selfish lay. Besides, I'm pretty sure she's into guys…'_

Once Mercury found a spot for them in the back of the room, but still close enough to observe their target and his friends, they began to converse quietly as Professor Goodwitch began calling names for assigned matches.

Deciding to help his employer catch up with the modern world, if only so she would start saying things he actually understood, Mercury got out his scroll, and booted up the _Kindling_ website, filling out information as he searched his scroll for the pictures that they used for their student ID.

' _Let's see, enjoys long walks on the beach, crackling fires in rural countryside…'_ Mercury struggled with what to put next, honestly, he hadn't thought much about his own profile when he used the site.

Glancing at his boss, still being orbited by his puppy of a partner, Mercury decided, _'Good with animals. Likes being on top…_ ' He punctuated this sentence with a winking emoji and a heart, figuring Cinder appreciated all that mushy stuff. There was just one section he was stumped on, though…

"Hey Boss?" Mercury called, "I need a bit of information to finish setting up your _Kindling_ profile."

"My what profile?" Cinder asked, as Emerald glared daggers at him.

"Your _Kindling_ profile, Boss. Think of it as an introduction to modern relationships. It should be able to help you in your mission to nab that Arc kid."

"Very well," Cinder conceded, "What information do you need?"

"I just need your age. You have good skin and all, but based on some of your references, I'd say you're around thirty-" Mercury began.

"Finish that sentence and I will incinerate you as soon as we get back to the dorm…" Cinder commanded, eyes glowing with her stolen power.

"Seventeen, then. Got it…"

"Look boss, all you have to do is swipe right, then when they are in range of your scroll, it'll lead you right to them. No wine-ing, no dining, just get in, get on, and get off..."

"You're a pig," his partner said with a glare.

She still looked uncertain, "This is how people court now? What about flowers, dinner, dancing?"

Mercury gave her a flat look, even as he continued setting up her profile in his scroll, "Courting? What does a judge have to do with getting laid? This is just for sex."

Cinder looked scandalized, "I am not some five lien slattern, Mercury Black!" Even so, she still watched the scroll, as pictures of young men in various states of dress flashed across the screen.

Emerald tried to be discreet, but Mercury still caught her watching Cinder watch the screen, _'Probably trying to get a clue as to what the boss lady likes so she can have a shot,'_ the mercenary scoffed, _'No chance of that happening. She definitely seems to prefer steak to fish...'_

"Just give it some thought, Boss. It can be a backup plan, or something. In the meantime, it's time for me to step up and save the day."

Mercury glared at his partner, as she muffled her giggles with her hand, "And how do you expect to do that exactly, Tin Man?"

"I'll have you know I'm great at seduction. If there was a military for it, I would be really high up on the chain of command! An officer!"

"What, like a lieutenant, or something?" Emerald snarked.

"There you go! Just call me Lieutenant Mercury: Seduction Assassin!"

"What's your go to line, Lieutenant? Falling on your face when your legs give out, and trying to get a pity date by doing your best impression of an Emergency Alert commercial? Help! I've fallen, and I can't get up!" Emerald snarked, unable to resist the opening.

"How exactly do you plan to seduce Jaune Arc?" Cinder asked, cutting off Mercury's retort. "While he seems immune to my charms, and so likely would be open to your advances, I still want to know how you plan to pull this off."

Mercury's pale skin gained a greenish tint, he looked as though he would be sick at any moment. As did Emerald, though that was because she was nearly doubled over from laughter.

When he was certain he could hold down his breakfast, Mercury was able to clarify his statement, "Not Arc, Boss! I'm talking about Pyrrha Nikos!"

Emerald tuned to her leader, mirth in her voice as she asked, "When this fails spectacularly, and Nikos kills him for the presumption, can I have Mercury's stuff? I bet his spare leg parts could net me a tidy sum at a junk shop."

Mercury glared at her, a fiery retort on his lips when his employer spoke up, "Enough, children. I see no harm in letting Mercury try, at least. The worst that could happen is she rejects his advances."

The assassin gave her his trade mark smirk, as he turned to begin his mission, "Just leave it to me, Boss. You're about to see a seduction expert in action. Just leave it to Lieutenant Mercury!"

Just before he was out of earshot, he couldn't resist rolling his eyes as he heard his partner say, "Um, Cinder, if Mercury's plan doesn't work, could we maybe try seducing Arc together? What guy can resist two girls at once?"

He nearly tripped over his metal feet when he heard his boss' reply, "I suppose that is another avenue we may consider. Very well, if this fails, we can try it your way..."

Putting aside his now imminent plans to record that encounter and sell it for an obscene amount of lien, Mercury made his way over to Nikos, using every bit of the skill his father beat into him.

As luck would have it, her boy toy, Arc had moved up to the railing near the front of the arena to watch one of the fights, leaving his target relatively isolated. She was leaning back in her seat, eyes closed, and head tilted back against the seat. She appeared to be asleep, despite the noise.

 _'This is perfect!'_ Mercury thought, _'Women love confidence and strength! Once I display my prime masculinity to her, I'll have Nikos eating out of my hand like a bird Faunus…'_

With that plan of action in mind, Mercury used his skills to get behind Nikos, making certain not to wake her. When he was finally within range, he struck!

Mercury leaned down, placing a firm kiss on his target's forehead. He smirked when he noticed her smile in response, though he noticed that her eyes were still closed. The smirk disappeared when he heard her sleepily mutter "Jaune…"

His target's eyes opened quickly after that, eyes lighting up with joy, before her gaze sharpened when she saw exactly who had kissed her. Nikos' eyes went wide with shock at first, face flushing in embarrassment. The shock quickly gave way to anger, her eyes darkening, and her aura beginning to manifest around her.

Mercury backed up quickly, to give himself room to maneuver, "Hey, sorry for not waiting until you were awake first. Figured you could use the touch of a real man instead of that boy toy of yours. Wanna maybe go somewhere after this?"

The redhead's only answer was to stand, sliding quickly into a combat stance before calling out to the professor as the current fight was ending, "Professor Goodwitch, I respectfully demand a match between myself and this student! He has insulted my honor. I demand satisfaction!"

"Well if it's satisfaction you want, babe…" Mercury began, but was silenced instantly by the twin glares of Nikos and the professor.

"Vey well, Ms. Nikos. I can see that Mr. Black here could use a lesson in manners at the very least. I will allow it."

With a final glare, his target began marching toward the arena, stopping when she got to her friends. "What's wrong, Pyr? What'd that guy do?"

"He kissed me, when I was sleeping."

There was a collective gasp from her friends, followed by a "WHAT?!"

"Break. His. Legs." Nora demanded, face a mask of fury. The other girls' expressions weren't dissimilar. Even Ren, the usual fount of serenity was struggling to maintain his usual expression.

"Don't worry, Pyr. With my semblance, we won't even have to worry about burying a body later," Jaune assures her with a frosty smirk, "I'll make sure of it…"

With a smile to her team, Nikos continued, standing at her starting place in the arena, glaring at Mercury as he made his way down. He could once again hear the annoying tone of his partner's voice as she and Cinder moved up to watch the impending spectacle. His annoyance only grew when he heard his boss say, "Very well, Emerald you may have Mercury's belongings when we get back to the dorm. Clearly, he's too stupid to live, after all…"

Once he was down in the arena, he sent a final smirk to his opponent, hoping to throw her off her game, at least a little. The smirk vanished when he noticed her flinty gaze, along with the black glow surrounding her. Her aura was beginning to flare wildly in response to her anger.

"Okay, everyone. This match, while unscheduled, should be treated as any other match," their teacher began. You will fight until one fighter's aura reaches the red, or they surrender. Knock out is also possible. No killing blows or deliberate maiming or crippling."

With a final nod to the two students, Goodwitch stepped back, engaging the shields around the arena, and brought up the display of both combatants' auras. The bell rang, signaling the start of the fight.

Mercury barely had a moment to blink before the redhead was on him, attacking like a whirlwind of shield bashes and spear jabs. Mercury barely had time to bring his legs up to deflect her attacks, when he noticed the black aura again.

Her anger seemed to be feeding her semblance, because the next thing he knew, Mercury was on the ground, face kissing the mat. He grunted, looking up to find that both of his prosthetics had popped off the joint connecting them to his thighs completely, leaving him immobile.

Things were only made worse when he noticed Nikos sheathing her weapons, and slowly stalking toward him. He managed to roll himself upright enough to see the match screen display. His aura was just in the yellow, meaning that Goodwitch was unlikely to call the match yet, and he didn't have any way to defend himself at the moment, since he was bracing himself up with his arms.

He sent a glare in his partner's direction when he heard her call from the crowd, "You've got no legs, Lieutenant Mercury!"

His ire only increased when he turned to glare at her fully and noticed her holding a very familiar object in her hands, _'Is that my wallet?! Oh, that bitch…'_ Unfortunately, the assassin didn't have a chance to formulate any other thoughts because Pyrrha Nikos had finally arrived, staring down at him like a vengeful goddess of war, violence and fury barely restrained.

"In the future," she began, voice low and dangerous, "I hope that you learn to respect women, scum. I won't hold my breath, though. If there is a next time, I won't be so merciful. It is only my vow as a Huntress to defend the weak that is keeping you from a more serious injury."

That's when he noticed the reason she had sheathed her weapons; in her hand was his right prosthetic. The redhead gave him a wintry smile, cheerful tone at odds with the dark look in her eyes, "When you wake up, remember what I said. There won't be a next time…"

Then she raised up his prosthetic, and without breaking eye contact, delivered three precise blows to his head, rendering him unconscious.

With her enemy vanquished, Pyrrha made her way slowly back to her friends, anger and adrenaline bleeding off as she was confronted with their congratulations, and Nora's pleas to teach her how to pop people's legs off like a wine cork.

Later, as they were leaving class, Pyrrha overheard that slutty bitch Cinder saying to her teammate, "Even though he's alive, you can still keep his wallet. He should pay for his idiocy in a way that will force him to remember his actions. Luckily, our back up plan is still in motion…"


	15. Chapter 15

"Oum bless the reliability of crooked dock workers, and warehouse foremen." Roman declared grandly, waving his hand at the warehouse around him. He stood on a catwalk, overseeing the operation going on below as his collected cadre of credulous critters continued to load the last of Vale's supply of cocoa beans for transport with an efficiency that rivaled Atlas security drones.

' _Or they_ would _be if they stopped trying to steal some of the product for themselves,'_ Roman thought dryly, mentally tallying up how much he was going to dock from yet another minion's pay.

"Put it back, Deery! I'm no veterinarian, but I'm pretty sure chocolate just makes you sick anyway, and that stuff isn't even _refined._ We don't need you getting ill and coughing up hairballs all over the place or whatever it is you do. Chocolate can kill you, you know…"

He emphasized that last sentence with a glare, and a point of his unlit Valean Imperial XVII cigar. Lighting up, he took a deep drag, savoring the rich taste of what was normally a several hundred lien cigar, the most expensive tobacco in all the kingdoms. He'd gotten it for free of course, because the only thing better than expensive tobacco is _stolen_ expensive tobacco.

He turned toward the sound of stiletto heels clacking a staccato rhythm on steel to find his partner arriving with a flourish of her parasol, and the satisfied smile of a job well done. "No problems on your end. Looks like Vale is going to be deprived of the best cheesecake flavor and classic daiquiris soon enough."

Neo smiled, the picture of bubbling excitement, before thrusting her phone into his face.

The screen displayed emojis, of course, her chosen method of communication when she didn't have to write a message in text. In this case there were only two: A thumbs up icon followed by what looked like hacked up phlegm. _Huh. I didn't realize there was an emoji for listeria. Either that or Neo's gotten good enough at programming in her spare time to create one._

"Well that's one less thing to worry about. With the season's strawberry harvest now a wash, and the majority of the season's cocoa bean harvest collected, Vale should be facing a major sweet shortage soon."

A quick dance of fingers across the screen, and Neo once again held up her response. This time, it was a picture of two people, a lien sign, and a knife.

Roman grinned appreciable. The ruthlessness and pragmatism of his partner warmed his cold, cold heart. "Great idea, Buttercup! Once the desperation sets in, we can discreetly sell some of the supply, and gouge the foolish sheep for everything they've got!"

Reality set in, causing the thief to pause. "We'll probably have kidnap a few workers to run the processing machines, though. Unless..."

With another flourish, Roman turned so that he could look down on his working minions and be heard clearly.

"Listen up you flea-bitten bunch of motley malcontents! Any of you know how to run the machinery in a chocolate processing factory? At least enough for several small batches of chocolate?"

The gathered Faunus stopped their work to stare at the master thief in incredulity, hardly daring to believe that he had really just asked them to volunteer for yet more work for a human.

The disbelief continued when a rather timid sounding voice called out in the ensuing silence: "I-I can do it. My brother and I used to work in a chocolate processing factory owned by the Schnee."

Roman peered at the speaker as the crowd parted, revealing a kid barely mid way through his 20's, sporting a pair of ears that looked as though they belonged on a bear, one black, the other white. His hair was also dyed a bright green, reminiscent of seaweed.

 _'Some sort of panda?'_ Roman mused, _'Doesn't have much survival instinct_. _Oh well, far be it from me to pass up a golden opportunity!'_

Roman rapped his cane on the floor, spreading his arms wide, like a proud parent showing off their child. "Excellent! Consider yourself hired, Riceball! Once we start fleecing these schmucks for everything they've got, you'll receive a fair cut of the profits! That's good business, after all..."

The panda Faunus tried to protest that his name was actually Dan, but his halfhearted attempt went unheard over the angry mutterings of the crowd. Especially the women.

Price gouging chocolate? Most of them there had at least been part of planning some truly terrible things from kidnapping, to bombings.

But this?

This was a new low even for their terrorist organization. Chocolate was considered one of the most potent weapons against the Grimm, able to lift the spirits and brighten the mood. It inspired hope in truly dark, dangerous times. It also helped with cramps. This made it a very valuable substance indeed.

Especially to Huntresses.

Sensing the malcontent of the crowd, Roman once again addressed them: "Don't worry, my littlest pet shop! With the haul we currently have and assuming Riceball can train a few of you up to scratch, we should be able to make enough for each of you to also have a share of the bounty. For a modest sum, of course..."

The grumbling began to subside at that, many of the crowd turning to the now named Riceball, and asking questions, ignoring the humans in the room.

Roman smirked. Human or animal, they were all the same. _'Too easy...'_

Turning back to his partner with a grin, Roman was greeted with a new message, this one only two icons: an eggplant, and splashing water. The professional didn't need to see the sultry look in her eyes, or the way she had bent forward, revealing a hint of the delicate valley of her breasts, to let him know her thoughts.

Conning the ignorant masses, regardless of their socio-economic status, really got her in the mood.

In fact, the only other thing that could ensure Roman got laid faster tonight would be...

Gently taking the phone in his hands, Roman scrolled through the emoji section until he found what he was looking for. A few taps, and he gave the phone back to his partner. She peered at the screen, revealing his message, a stop sign, and a banana split sundae.

The look she gave him would have melted steel with its intensity.

Roman smiled.

Eventually, however, they did need to get back to work, though Roman couldn't resist asking a question that had been irritating him since he was given this strange mission at two in the morning a week ago. "Speaking of facials...how's the Bosslady doing up at that school? Any news? She still trying to convince people that she's seventeen?"

Here Neo used text for her reply. Emojis were too limited, even for someone with her expressive abilities. _According to the last report Emerald gave, yes. She seems to be succeeding so far, or at least, no one has seen fit to question why she's leading a much younger team._

"Really? I'm surprised. I'd have figured she'd have given the game away the first time the cafeteria served tapioca pudding, or she came across a marathon of _Murder, She Penned_."

Though she lacked the vocal ability to express it, Neo's shoulders still shook with mirth as she held up her response. _That's not even the best part! Apparently, she's trying to seduce one of the male students, who's supposed to have this awesome semblance or something. He completely clam jammed her! And Mercury got his ass kicked with his own legs by Pyrrha Nikos when he tried to seduce her!_

Now it was Roman's turn to shake with laughter as he wiped tears from his eyes. "Oh! Dust! Ms. Sex on two legs herself got stonewalled by some pimply faced kid whose voice is still cracking? What's next, Pyrrha Nikos dating?"

The partners shared another laugh at that mental image.

 _Right?! I bet she doesn't even know how to use_ Kindling _properly, much less how to text with emojis! They should have sent me instead. I'd have had this mission over by now. Maybe I'd be lucky and run into the leader of Team JNPR. I'd love to get him to sign my First Edition plushie!_

The pint-sized parasol wielder sent a fond look at her pocket where her favorite good luck charm was stored, a limited First Edition Jaune Arc plushie, one of the few that boasted extra stuffing.

According to Rem-net rumor, the extra padding meant it was even anatomically correct.

Roman sighed. Neo really liked that silly thing. Carried it around everywhere. She had been so fixated on getting it when she saw it in a shop window that she had even _paid_ for it!

A part of him was rather glad she hadn't gone to Beacon, sure she would not rest until she had the life-sized version of her favorite toy wrapped around her finger.

Though, the video would likely sell for an obscene amount of lien...

A business venture for another time! For now, they had a job to finish, and Roman had some vigorous cardio exercising to do. And speaking of needing to moisturize...

"I heard there's an _Orlay_ truck scheduled to deliver to the mall in a few days. Think if we acquire the cargo and get it sent to the boss, she'll see we're doing our part for the grand plan and give us a bonus?"

The catty tone of his partner's reply rang loud and clear despite the text medium: _Whether one container, or a whole truck load, t_ _here isn't enough expensive, designer moisturizer on Remnant to help her pass for seventeen...  
_

Roman smirked, before turning back to the matter at hand: organizing his petting zoo to load their ill-gotten gains as efficiently, and quickly as possible. The thief made a mental note to also stock up on whipped cream while they were out. He was feeling especially creative tonight.

Ripping off and gouging an entire kingdom really got the blood flowing.

The master thief took another long drag of his cigar, savoring the complex taste of the smoke.

Life was good.


	16. Chapter 16

Like with most epidemics, it took some time to spread. It was barely noticeable at first.

The shortage didn't become apparent until after the first month, once supplies began to dwindle. Hunting Grimm was a largely female dominated profession, and with so many women living together, synchronization was bound to happen.

Chocolate was a hot commodity, being a favorite choice of comfort food.

The listeria outbreak changed things.

With the loss of strawberries on top of the disappearance of most of the cocoa beans in the city, stress became one of the most dominant emotions within the walls of Beacon. And since Beacon was home to a large population of athletic, hormone driven, Hunters-in-Training, they responded to the increased stress in classic fashion: By eating.

A lot.

Once withdraw began to set in, it left many of the students sluggish, irritable, shaking, and with the mental acuity of Team CRDL. Most of the student population resembled the walking dead, staggering and shambling from place to place.

Team JNPR had no such issues; at least not right away. Between Pyrrha's celebrity status and bank account, and the team's plushie money, they were able to comfortably support themselves. For Ren and Jaune, this of course meant keeping their partners/girlfriends supplied with the food they craved.

So, of course, most of their disposable income went to baking supplies. Luckily, Jaune's time as an Ursa Scout had given him the skills to plan and organize effectively. One of the first things he did once they became financially secure was to buy all of the supplies they needed in bulk from any whole sale stores around the campus.

Since many of the businesses around Vale relied on Beacon students for the majority of their business, the duo had several choices.

This meant that Team JNPR had enough supplies to make pancakes, and nearly any kind of baked good that didn't involve strawberry that they would even be able to keep up with Nora and Pyrrha's insatiable desires for the next two semesters.

Until their kindness began to work against them.

It started small. JNPR shared their stash with RWBY, since they were sister teams, and everyone was pretty sure Ruby could not physically function without cookies.

Then Velvet and Team CFVY showed up, trailed by a couple of students from the other schools.

About the time that he was signing the fifth plushie, and CRDL showed up trying to intimidate him into handing over his stash, Jaune had another brilliant money-making idea...

"Why do wholesale clubs stock chocolate bars the size of bricks?" Ren asked as he helped his best male friend precisely cut and weigh chocolate bar segments before sealing them into bags. "This can't be healthy."

"I'm not sure, but if we keep charging by gram, it'll net us enough profit to keep me ahead of Pyrrha's need. That's all I care about."

Just then, there was a pitiful moan from Pyrrha's bed, where she was once again ensconced in her burrito cocoon, for the first time since Jaune had unlocked his semblance.

Moving quickly, the blonde grabbed one of the spoons out of the silverware drawer, along with one of the bags of cut chocolate before rushing toward his girlfriend's bedside.

He found Pyrrha and Nora huddled together within the Fortress of Fluffitude, sharing a bottle of maple syrup between them like it was a bottle of the finest Valean wine, since the boys were currently dividing their chocolate stash.

"How's everything going in here, ladies?" he asked, handing out fresh heating pads, and fluffing pillows.

"I need a new uterus…" Pyrrha moaned pitifully, head ducked between her knees and arms wrapped around them. Nora rubbed her back in gentle circles.

Jaune seated himself on the edge of Pyrrha's bed, smiling at his girlfriend as he produced a small square of chocolate, placing it on the tablespoon he had grabbed from the kitchen. One application of his semblance later, and the chocolate was warm, and slightly melted; perfect for eating from a spoon.

Much like medicine, which in this case it was.

JNPR's leader gently spoon-fed his girlfriend three helpings of warmed chocolate, its near liquid state making it easier on her stressed stomach. He smiled as he watched some of the usual spark enter her eyes as the chocolate began to do its work.

"Thank you, Jaune…" Pyrrha gave her boyfriend a wan smile, almost all her energy spent on dealing with her cramps.

"Hey, no prob, Pyrrha. Growing up with eight women has pretty much made this a standard operating procedure."

"Oh? And what is the standard operating procedure?" Pyrrha asked, attempting to distract herself from a wave of nausea.

"Pillow fluffing followed by complete subservience."

The girls giggled as Ren exited the kitchen bearing a fresh bottle of maple syrup, which Nora accepted, nearly pouring the entire bottle down her maw, and gargling happily.

"What a coincidence, I have a similar system," Ren stated, switching out Nora's current pillow with a freshly fluffed one, and giving her another heating pad. The hammer wielder purred in contentment.

"I have noticed an issue with our current stocks, though."

"What's that?" Jaune asked, getting up to help Ren finish bagging their current orders.

"We are almost out. Even with our cash reserves, our money means little if we can't find a new source of chocolate soon. We have perhaps a week's supply left, and prices certainly aren't getting any cheaper."

"True. Without product, we have no business, after all. There's no telling how bad the market is right now, given the shortages. The only reason we've lasted this long is because we bought so much before shortage. I'll think of something…"

Pyrrha did not take the news well, the prospect of having to face her cycle without one of the few things that helped settle her stomach causing her to briefly lose control of her semblance. All around the dorm, metal began to shake.

She locked eyes with her leader, tone beseeching. "Help me Obi-Jaune. You're my only hope."

Jaune learned a valuable lesson that day. He may have been immune to the soulful puppy eyes look, but when his girlfriend started quoting _Space Battles_ like that, he would cheerfully do whatever she asked.

After all, a team leader provides.

 **XXX**

This is how Jaune found himself wandering the shops of downtown Vale, hoping to find chocolate that would not _entirely_ decimate his team's cash reserves. It was proving rather difficult since chocolate, despite many Huntresses claiming otherwise, was not considered a necessity like bread, or water.

The listeria outbreak was also not considered a state of emergency, nor was the mysterious disappearance of so many cocoa plants, again, much to the frustration of the Huntresses of Vale. This meant that many independently owned stores were free and clear to raise prices due to supply shortages and increased demand.

Even Jaune's status as the creator of the plushie craze could not help him barter. The shop keepers were very firm on that.

Jaune was considering the cost of having chocolate brought in from another kingdom like Vacuo, and the impact it would have on the team's finances. He was half-way through dialing his sister Rawaya's number, who was vacationing in in that very kingdom, when he noticed something that gave him pause.

There was a Faunus standing outside a shop being berated by a store clerk. It was hard to tell from this far away, but the Faunus seemed to have green hair of all things and round ears that reminded Jaune of some sort of bear.

The most eye-catching thing about him though wasn't his Faunus traits; it was the large purple top hat complete with shining brass buckle. It reminded Jaune of the Mad Capper character in his fourth-grade rendition of _Alexis In Otherland._

Being a Huntsman-in-Training, as well as a decent human being, Jaune made his way to the commotion, ready to help calm things down.

As he got closer, he saw that the bear-like Faunus' ears were different colors, one black and the other white. ' _Some sort of Panda, maybe?'_ Jaune thought, just before he was noticed by the arguing duo.

"See what you're causing? Get out of here so I can deal with a _proper_ customer!"

The Panda-like Faunus grit his teeth, nearly losing his hat as he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Look sir, I have money, but the price you're asking for the part is twice what was advertised on the website! I can't possibly pay it!"

The man sneered, using every inch of his nearly six feet in height to tower over the Faunus. "That sounds like _your_ problem, doesn't it? You can't afford my prices, why don't you just go join a circus or something? Work for peanuts." The man chuckled at his own wit.

The man then turned to address Jaune, who was trying to keep his own anger in check.

"Don't much like these animals, eh? Can't say I blame you. What can I help you with?"

Jaune gave the man his best public relations smile, taught to his team after hours of coaching from Pyrrha, and kept his tone polite. "Well sir, I was hoping to get some of your industrial grade thermometers."

The shop keeper gave him a look of befuddlement. "Free thermometers? We don't carry free _anything_ , this is a specialty machinery outlet! All our merchandise is the highest quality!"

"Really? I figured it must be free since you were willing to turn away money," he said with a gesture toward the Faunus, who was staring at them in confusion.

The man sputtered in outrage. "Hey if he can't afford to pay the price for the merchandise, that's not my concern! This is just business!"

"What were you trying to buy?"

The still confused Faunus handed Jaune his scroll, which showed a picture of some sort of temperature gauge. "It's an industrial thermometer, used in large scale factory machines."

"What a coincidence!" Jaune proclaimed with a smile, "I saw this _exact_ thing for cheaper than is advertised here a few blocks back! I'd be happy to show you."

The Faunus gave him a nod as Jaune handed him back his phone.

The store clerk began sputtering in outrage, but before he could start the argument all over again, Jaune turned back to him, coached smile still in place. "You don't mind, right? After all, it's just business."

With that, Jaune turned away, leaving the stunned Faunus to trail in his wake for a moment.

"Uh, thanks for…back there. Most people would have just kept walking."

"No problem. Happy to help. I'm Jaune, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah. Same. I'm Dan."

They shook hands and walked for a few more moments in silence. "So, is there really a shop selling this thermometer, or were you just trying to help me stick it to that racist ass hat?"

Jaune laughed. "There really is a shop. The manager knows me, and he's a decent guy. Doesn't care if you're human or Faunus. Shame he doesn't sell chocolate."

"Well that's good to hear. There aren't many like that around here, I've found in my experience. Why is it a shame the shop doesn't sell chocolate?"

Jaune gave a rueful chuckle, "Well, it's kinda the whole reason I'm out here. I've used up most of my supply selling it to Beacon students. I've netted a tidy sum for it, but we are almost out of chocolate, and all the demand in the world does no good if I don't have what the customers want. Plus, my, uh, friend is not feeling great. She's a total chocoholic, and she's not doing well with withdraw. Plus, the other issues she's dealing with."

Dan knew enough about women and chocolate to know exactly what his new human acquaintance meant. "I may be able to help with that. My friends and I are leaving the kingdom soon to start a business together. It's why I need the thermometers. We're leaving in a hurry, and don't exactly have time or space to carry a lot with us. Long story short, I have a stash of chocolate I'd be willing to sell you at cost. Say, five lien a bar."

"Really?! That's great! I've been searching for a shop that wouldn't gouge me for hours now! You've really helped me out!"

"It's no trouble. You've helped me too, and it's not every day you meet a human willing to stick their neck out for a guy they've never met. Especially not a Faunus."

' _It also means that I don't have to worry about sneaking chocolate out of the kingdom. I really don't trust Torchwick not to leave us out to dry, even if he's already gotten half of the cocoa bean crops out of the kingdom.'_

Jaune laughed again, rubbing the back of his neck, and looking away sheepishly as he sought a way to change the subject. "So…speaking of things that you don't see every day, do you mind if I ask what's up with the hat?"

"Oh this?" Dan gestured to his top hat, chest puffing out in pride, "It's my badge of office! See, when we decided to start our own business, my friends decided that I would be the manager. And our previous boss was kind of a dick. Had a real fascination with his hat, and snazzy white suits. Thought they made him look distinguished. We all thought that with his red hair and cane that the tiny hat and suit just made him look like some sort of overcompensating clown pimp. So anyway, my wife, being the lovely woman that she is, got all my friends together, and as a sort of joke they got me the hat, which is purple because it's her favorite color. She also said it reminded her of a movie, but I can't remember which one…"

"It's…rather large."

"Exactly." Dan said with a smirk.

Jaune chuckled. "Well, we're here!" he said, gesturing to a modest-sized storefront with a bright green awning that bore the name _Earl's Electronics._ After a few minutes of pleasant conversation with the manager they left with several new industrial thermometers, and a few other gadgets that Dan insisted he needed.

After that, a very happy Dan made a scroll call. Twenty minutes later, a white pickup truck pulls up to them, and another Faunus with goat horns on his head rolls down the window, handing Dan two large duffle bags, before giving a curt nod and speeding away.

Jaune opened one of the bags, finding it full to the brim with chocolate bars wrapped in foil. He opened one and broke off a bit to taste. "Wow. This is pure, no additives or anything. Good stuff."

"Of course. I am a man of discerning taste, after all."

Jaune smiled, closing the duffle bag, and shaking Dan's hand. "Five lien is a steal considering what the this could be worth at Beacon. Especially since I've been selling it by the gram. Tell you what, as one entrepreneur to another, I'm gonna help you out."

Jaune went back into the store they had just left, returning with two one thousand lien chips courtesy of the ATM, which he pressed into Dan's hands. The Panda Faunus gaped at him. "Jaune, this is too much! This is twice the cost of the bars!"

"True, but like I said, I've been selling by the gram, and I can easily make back my money selling just one of these bags of chocolate. The other is for my partner, and she deserves the best. That means paying for quality, and this is good stuff. Better than my old stock."

"Still, this is too much!"

"Just consider it start up capital for your business. Everyone needs someone to believe in them and tell them that they can achieve their goals. You'd be amazed at what you can accomplish when someone believes in you…"

Dan smiled, thinking of his friends and wife. True, it wasn't their dream to start a successful chocolate manufacturing business using stolen crops but being self-sufficient and making a better life for themselves away from a crazy people like Roman's boss or Adam Taurus certainly was.

"Just promise me one thing," Jaune said, shouldering the bags, and turning to make his way back to Beacon.

"What's that?" Dan asked, pocketing the lien chips, and turning to make his way back to the warehouse he was currently based in.

"If you're going to start a business, just make sure that it's the best you can make it."

"Oh, don't worry," Dan said, plans for how to use his startup capital already forming. They would need a brand. Perhaps some sort of cartoon character to appeal to the kids? "I intend to…"

' _And I may just get a use out of that silly Riceball nickname, after all…'_

 **XXX**

Cinder loved being right. It had taken time, more than she had anticipated, but she could not argue with the results. Everywhere she turned, the negative emotions practically radiated off the students.

They would be a buffet for the Grimm when the invasion began.

Speaking of watching things die messily…

Cinder smirked as she sauntered her way over to Platoon RWBYJNPR's table. Mercury and Emerald trailed behind, though the assassin was moving at a much slower pace. He was doing his best to keep Cinder and Emerald between himself and the glare Pyrrha was sending them. She took a moment to drink in the looks of despair on the faces of the students around her.

It was delicious.

Unfortunately, she could not find her target anywhere. It seemed he was eating lunch somewhere apart from his friends today. An interesting development. No matter, she would have Jaune soon enough. Everything else was already going so well that the perfect achievement of her goals was already a foregone conclusion.

This meant that she had all the reason to gloat. Why not, when victory was already assured?

When she reached the table, Cinder leaned down, and smirked at her defeated enemies, "I see you are all enjoying my little gift."

Yang sent her a glare to rival a Schnee as she started to stand, "What do you want, hag? Why don't you go back to the retirement home before you miss your stories and tapioca pudding night?"

The would-be femme fatale suppressed her rage with difficulty, her sultry smirk widening as she chose her next words carefully, "Oh I don't want much, Jezebel, I just wanted to see the looks on your faces when you realize the enormity of your loss."

Weiss glared at the woman, "Listen you doddering, tasteless, harlot: Since you arrived here, you've done nothing but try to hurt my team mates and friends. You've done your best to destroy Jaune and Pyrrha's relationship by throwing yourself at him like a five lien slattern! Take your minions and your cheap Louis Coruscant knock-offs, and begone from here before I bring the full might of the Schnee name to bear and crush your miserable existence like ashes in the wind! That is, assuming Pyrrha doesn't get to you first…"

That was a legitimate concern since Nora, Ren, and Blake were currently doing their best to restrain Pyrrha from leaping over the table and using Cinder as a demonstration dummy for her newest techniques. Her aura was flaring, causing all the metal in the cafeteria to shake as though Beacon was experiencing an earth quake. The glare she was shooting Cinder's team made it very clear that she wanted nothing more than to set them ablaze where they stood.

"C'mon, Pyr!" Nora pleaded, as she struggled to keep her adopted sister in place, "You can't set them on fire with your mind! Only your boyfriend has a fire semblance, and even if you could, there are too many witnesses!"

Pyrrha just stared harder.

"Easy, girl…" Blake called, as she used all of her body weight to keep hold of one of Pyrrha's arms, with marginal success, "Nora's right, there are too many witnesses right now."

"You should listen to your friends, little girl. Besides, you've already lost. I've taken away the things you love most already, and soon I'll have your blonde little boy toy wrapped around my finger, too." Cinder purred, meeting Pyrrha's gaze unflinchingly. She was a Maiden, after all. Nikos was little more than an above average flea compared to her.

Pyrrha's struggles redoubled, her anger becoming more apparent as she began to move forward a few steps, dragging her friends with her. "Just let me go, everyone," the champion hissed through clenched teeth. "I only wish to speak to her…using the language of my people."

"What does that even mean?!" Yang asked, as she rushed over to help keep Pyrrha from fulfilling her goal of giving Cinder a "language lesson".

"It means I need Nora to give me one of her high yield grenades, so I can shove it down this slag's throat!" Pyrrha roared. ' _I am Pyrrha "Jaune Fucking" Nikos, and I will not lose to this slut!'_

Cinder's smirk widened, and she decided to deliver the finishing blow to her enemies before she left to go find Jaune and convert him fully to her cause, "Well regardless, I've already told you that I've taken away what you love the most. You've noticed the lack of chocolate and strawberries throughout Vale, yes? How they've all seemed to disappear overnight?"

Even Pyrrha stopped struggling for a moment as this mystery concerned her greatly.

"I did that. One little scroll call to my agents around Vale, and I have guaranteed that you will not be tasting any of them in this kingdom again until the next harvest season."

' _This is perfect!'_ Cinder thought with a mental cackle, ' _The combined negativity of Vale losing access to some of their most prized foods should easily be enough to awaken the dragon and summon the Grimm for miles around! Then I can snatch Arc during the chaos and…'_

Cinder's thoughts were interrupted by the red cloaked girl leaving her seat and getting nearly nose to nose with her. Her innocent childish face was scrunched up in sadness, and her eyes were wide and glistening with unshed tears.

She looked positively devastated at the news. She could see it, the despair and hopelessness that haunted her cherubic face. Truly, it was everything she wanted since she first saw that damned plushie doll.

With a shaky voice, and trembling lips, the girl with the red cape asked, "You, you did this? But… _why?_ "

The false Maiden smiled, relishing the girl's pain, and deciding to twist the knife deeper, "Well, at first, it was to strike back at you all for trying to ruin my plans for the Arc boy."

Cinder smiled wider, leaning in close to the cloaked girl's ear to whisper, "But really, I just did it because I could, and I wanted to see the misery on your face. Tell me, how does it feel?"

The young Huntress's face scrunched up even more, the tears that she had been trying to hold back now flowing freely down her face. The misery and grief she was exuding was practically visible and certain to cause the beginnings of the chain reaction that Cinder needed.

She could see it changing, warping the girl's face as it went from grief, and sadness, quickly crossing the threshold to a boiling rage. It was certainly an odd expression on one with such a normally child-like countenance. Cinder doubted if the girl's eyes had ever truly expressed such anger before. In fact, her eyes almost seemed to be glowing with it...

Then the world exploded.


	17. Chapter 17

AN: This chapter is especially dedicated to all my teacher friends. Summer is here! The school year is over! Have a chapter to celebrate. Cheers!

Everyone at the table watched in shock as a light seemed to burst from Ruby's eyes, before they had to quickly shield themselves and look away to avoid going blind. They could hear the startled screams of those arounds them caught in the light's path that weren't quite fast enough shielding themselves.

And Ruby was screaming, her previous anger and sadness quickly giving way to fear if the tone was anything to go by.

"What do we do?" Yang screamed over the noise, "How do we make this stop?!"

"If this is anything like an out of control semblance, we need to change her emotional state, quickly! Negative emotions obviously triggered it, so we must do something to make her happy again, and quickly!" Pyrrha ordered, keeping her eyes firmly closed.

"I hate to say it, but could we just knock her out? Wouldn't that be faster and safer?" Ren asked.

"We can't be sure how the power will react! Pyrrha's right, we need to focus her emotions on something positive!" Weiss declared.

"You still have that plushie of you we picked up, yeah, Weiss?" Yang questioned, moving next to her team mate while keeping her eyes shielded with her arm.

"I fail to see what that _abomination_ has to do with our current situation!" Weiss cried, even as she reached into her blazer to retrieve the plushie.

"Remember how Ruby smiled when she saw it? I'm hoping that we can calm her down if we can get her to hold it!"

Once Yang had the black leather corseted version of her sister's partner in hand, she tucked it under her arm and felt around the table for a napkin, which she quickly folded around until it was a tube. Sitting the Weiss plushie on top, and hoping this worked, the blonde approached her sister carefully, one hand still shielding her face.

When she felt herself right next to her sister, Yang reached out, placing the napkin with the doll on top in her hand, closing it around it. Then she leaned forward until she was right next to her sister, and nearly shouted in her ear, "Look, Ruby! It's a Weiss-cream cone!"

The light immediately began to waver, as Ruby's grief and anger were replaced with incredulity and curiosity. It went out completely, a moment later, without the focused emotions necessary to sustain it.

Ruby began to sway almost as soon as the light faded, it was clear that she wouldn't be on her feet long. Somehow, though, she still maintained her grip on the plushie of her partner.

Just before she could collapse to the ground, Yang scooped her up, cradling her like a newborn as the rest of the group spread out to help anyone that needed it, and survey the damage caused by Ruby's new death laser eyes.

Other than spilled food from overturned chairs and tables that people used for improvised cover, there was surprisingly minimal damage, and everyone else seemed to be fine as well. There were a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing major, thanks to aura. Even Cinder and her minions were okay, despite being the targets of whatever that eye power was. Though they seemed to be caught in some sort of stasis, frozen completely. Cinder's tattoo had disappeared somehow, though. In its place were the ugly, red welts of burned skin.

"Weiss, could you please help Yang get Ruby up to the infirmary while the rest of us try to figure out what to do with this diseased, discount courtesan and her ilk? And Blake, could you please send word to Professor Goodwitch?" Pyrrha asked, stepping up to take charge in her hopefully soon official boyfriend's absence.

When everyone nodded, and broke up to complete their tasks, Nora turned to her best female friend, "Boy, I sure hope Jaune's lunch with your dad isn't as eventful as this!"

Pyrrha nodded in agreement turning to Yang as she used her scroll to unlock her weapons locker. Once she was certain that Ruby was in stable condition, she reached over and plucked Cinder's scroll from her uniform.

A quick search, since the phone was not even password protected revealed everything she needed to know and more. ' _Honestly! How arrogant, planning to use a virus to infect the CCT, but not even bothering to secure your phone. It's like she's never heard of basic Internet security…'_

Pyrrha was far too busy to worry about that now, though. After all this time, she finally had a target. They now had a way to end the madness. Now focused, Pyrrha turned to Nora, relaying orders as she began to purposefully stride toward her locker. "Nora, get that phone to the Headmaster. It seems very important. Then I need you to gather up all the able-bodied Huntresses that that wouldn't mind a little workout."

Nora gave her a sharp salute and a grin, passing the phone to Ren, since he was the fastest of their team. "Sure thing, Pyrrha! Then what?"

The smile on Pyrrha's face at that moment was something that Jaune's family would have recognized very well during family game night. "Cinder's phone gave us a target. I know where cocoa beans are."

Nora gasped in surprise, clapping her hands in giddy delight like a toddler on a sugar high, even as her expression hardened into what her friends recognized as leg breaking focus. "So that means…"  
"That's right. We're going hunting…"

 **XXX**

Elsewhere, out in the Grimmlands, a Queen was falling. Salem clutched at her chest, gasping for air as she felt her connection to Cinder, and the Fall Maiden powers, wither and die. She knew then that her agent was dead, and Ozpin had managed to extract the stolen power, returning it to its original owner. Salem bit back a curse as she stumbled back onto her throne.

Without the connection that would allow her to slowly syphon off the magic of the Maidens to restore and sustain herself, it was now only a matter of time before she began to wither away completely, unless…

Salem took a deep breath and began to focus. Reaching out with her will across the distance, she found the frayed string of her connection with the parasite that she had implanted in her apprentice.

Eyes narrowed in concentration, she reached out to that psychic thread and began to pull.

She was rewarded with a flood of colors, scents, and sounds that helped her get an idea of the parasite's last moments. Most importantly, she was also given a sense of the emotions that the parasite was feeling before its death.

An overwhelming sense of loss, melancholy, depression, angst…

This was very confusing for the Grimm Queen. The presence of such strong negative emotions should have made her creation even stronger. That much negativity should have kept her Grimm in the immediate area full and strengthened. Instead she was left with a dead parasite, a possibly dead apprentice, and no idea what happened.

She needed a clue. Something that would help her understand where all the negativity was coming from. If she could recreate it, harness it, she would be able to easily move forward with her plans. Then she would be free!

Salem began to focus once more on the impressions left behind by her creation. She discarded sound as useless. It was nothing but banal, and inconsequential chatter. Instead she focused on sight. She sifted through the memories of the parasite, looking for anything that stood out.

What were they all focused on? What was so important…?

THERE!

Salem allowed herself a self-satisfied smile. She had found the key. With this, she would destroy Ozpin and the rest of Remnant. She would finally be free! But first…

"Watts…"

The door to the throne room opened, admitting a rather elegantly dressed man, with an equally impressive mustache, and the voice to match. Though this was not made apparent until the man stood up from his courtly bow and began to speak. "How may I serve you, my Queen?"

Salem touched a jagged pink crystal next to her throne, which began to glow with a muted pink light, casting eerie shadows on the already unsettling décor. After a moment, the glow receded, revealing a large projection.

"I pulled this image from the psychic impressions of one of my children that was inside Beacon Academy when it died. It was surrounded by an atmosphere of negative emotions."

"Really? And yet it still died? Most peculiar…"

"Yes. It is. I believe that the image before you may be the key to the negative emotions. We just need to understand what it is so that we can replicate it."

"Very well. One moment, please…" Salem's henchman reached into his pocked, and withdrew his scroll. One picture later, and he was searching the Remnet for any information he could find. His search bore fruit in seconds.

"According to my research, that image is of a Jaune Arc Limited Edition plushie with removable hoodie accessory, and all the realistic proportions of the life-sized original. Hmmm."

"What is it? What is the matter?"

"Apologies Your Grace, I am simply trying to understand why there is a smirking face emoji, and a heart eye emoji used in the review of the picture. And not just the picture. There are dozens of emojis like this in the reviews of the plushie on the website…"

Salem, who had no idea what an emoji was, or any desire to know, so dismissed it as unimportant. "Anything else? What other information can you provide?"

"Well, according to the official website of the supplier, the plushies are meant to help promote a healthy lifestyle, and to encourage everyone to eat well and exercise. A moment; let me pull up another search result…"

The next link proved to be a video. Watts turned up the volume on his scroll so that they could both hear.

" _Hello, I'm Pyrrha Nikos, the three-time winner of the Mistral Arena Championship! Do you want to get the lean, muscular body you've always wanted but don't have the time or drive do all that crazy dieting? Hate working out? Well I have great news!"_

" _In just twenty minutes a day you can melt fat fast and get the amazing, defined body you've always wanted with the Ab Conqueror by BodyFIT! Look better! Feel better! Who knows, maybe I'll be seeing_ you _in the arena at my next championship…"_

"The rest of the video is only demonstrations of the machine, Your Grace."

It took the Grimm Queen but a moment to make the connection. It was so simple! So obvious!

"Exercise."

"I beg your pardon Your Grace?"

"Don't you see, Watts? Exercise is the key! All the dieting, exercising and healthy living is driving the youths mad!"

"That is certainly…a _potential_ cause, yes."

"The plushies are the key! All this obsession with the plushies is because they are the symbol of the healthy lifestyle that they common rabble are adopting now. If they wish to wallow in their misery and make my Grimm stronger, then so be it. We will make it all the easier for them!"

"I am afraid I do not follow, my Queen."

"It is simple, Watts. I want you to make a secret, anonymous donation to team JNPR for their efforts in beginning this new fitness craze. Encourage them to continue their efforts with more products and advertisements. We shall allow Ozpin and his ilk the rope to hang themselves with!"

"As you wish, My Queen, but if I may ask a question?"

Salem gave her subordinate a regal nod.

"What of Cinder and her efforts to recruit Ozpin's new weapon?"

Salem gave a negligent wave of her hand, leaning back to recline on her throne. "I am not concerned with Ozpin's pawn any longer. Soon we will have Remnant drowning in a sea of negative emotions. Then I will have enough power to create an unstoppable army capable of laying waste to the Kingdoms! I shall snuff out the last of humanity's light!"

"But what about Cinder? Should we be concerned about her death?"

"We cannot be certain she is dead yet, Watts. Her parasite is merely gone. That would happen even if she was successful with her mission to claim the Maiden powers. For now, we will simply wait and see."

"As you will, My Queen."

Salem shivered in her chair, despite the warm climate of the room. "It is a shame you cannot feel the exquisite emotions of our prey as I do, Watts. Imagine it, enough negativity to create an army of terrifying Nuckelavee!"

Now it was Watts' turn to shudder, both at the terrifying mental image of an army of monstrous Nuckelavee, and at the real image of his leader shuddering in what appeared to his medically trained eye to be euphoria.

There were not enough chemicals on Remnant to wipe that sight from his brain. Still, Watts focused on the matter at hand as his Queen made to speak again. "I want you to see to divert a sizable amount toward our new goal. A few hundred thousand lien should be enough."

"And if some of our connections object?"

"Take Tyrion with you. He has been rather anxious to wet his blades of late. It will be good to let him run for a bit. With supervision."

Watts suppressed a sigh with difficulty. ' _Wonderful. Babysitting.'_

As Salem dismissed Watts to fulfill her orders, she made certain to relay one final piece of instruction. "Watch Tyrion carefully, Watts. You know how impatient and irrational the young can be…"

Watts gave another courtly bow as he exited. "By your will…"

Salem leaned one again reclined in her throne, smiling, the picture of self-satisfaction.

She did not know it then, but she would come to regret the lack of impatient, irrational youths in her organization. Because if she had more, perhaps one of them would have pointed out the glaring flaw in her plan: That as a several millennia old eldritch horror, she was even _more_ out of touch with pop culture and today's youth than her apprentice...


	18. Chapter 18

Jaune let out another nervous sigh, tapping his fingers against his leg, and checking his phone again. It had still only been a few minutes since he had arrived and asked to be shown to Mr. Nikos' room. He felt the strange mix of nerves and relief bubbling in his chest. Meeting the man that could one day be his in-law was never going to be easy, but it had to be done.

The fact that Mr. Nikos was attending a business conference in Vale's most luxurious hotel, The Rose Guard Inn, was an unexpected treat, though, because it meant Jaune would hopefully have the chance to expand his culinary knowledge with some of the best food in the Kingdom.

He and Ren needed all the help they could get to satisfy the dark lust for sweets and carbs that their girlfriends possessed. That it also got him away from the odd, persistent, and strangely archaic Cinder, who seemed strangely fixated on getting him to go out with her, despite his firmly polite refusals.

' _Is this how Weiss felt the two times I asked her out? The irony, it burns, it stings. I'll have to do something nice to go along with my apology later. Maybe I'll make her a blueberry custard tart…'_

He was broken from his musings by his phone. Someone had sent him a text. The relief that he felt at having something to take his mind off his problems quickly turned sour as he read Ren's message.

 **Ren:** _Ruby collapsed in exhaustion after using some sort of eye-based ability to incapacitate Cinder, and her team. Everyone is fine, no one was hurt, though Cinder is stuck in suspended animation. We have discovered that Roman Torchwick is responsible for our current food shortages under orders from Cinder. Pyrrha, Nora, myself, and Blake are currently searching for him under the direction of Professor Goodwitch._

 _Cinder's phone has led us right to the warehouse, and we will be going in soon. We hope to recover the remaining unspoiled crops before they are transferred out of the Kingdom._

Though Ren assured him that everyone was fine, and no one was hurt, the fact that Ruby had collapsed was worrying. Even more so was the fact that both of their girlfriends were currently chasing after a notorious criminal, even if they had a professor as backup.

Still, he trusted his friends, and their skills. They were strong. They would be fine. He had to focus on his challenge. Climbing this mountain, finishing his twelve labors, slaying this giant…

Jaune's sudden mental image of an over six feet tall mountain of muscle, like his own father, only willing to kill him, sprang to mind. ' _And now my nerves are back. 'Please don't let him be a giant! Pleeasepleaseplease!'_

Fear can make anyone irrational. Even though Jaune knew that Pyrrha's father did not come from a Huntsman background and was not likely to be a Mistralian statue of a man, his fear did not listen.

And now he was out of time.

Once a clerk directed him through the opulent lobby, and past several guests that made him feel underdressed despite the suit Pyrrha had helped him pick out yesterday, Jaune found himself riding an elevator to one of the most exclusive suites in the building.

He emerged from the elevator to find himself facing a door made of dark wood, with a polished brass plaque proclaiming the room number. With one last gulp to swallow his nervousness, Jaune buried his nerves, girded his loins, and prepared for battle.

Once again using the breathing exercises Ren taught him, Jaune did his best to empty his mind of fear and doubt; replacing it with determination, and the desire to see Pyrrha happy. One last inhale, and Jaune gave a firm knock on the door.

There was a sound of unlocking, and then a rich, cultured voice declared, "Come in."

Jaune strode into the room, as confidently as he could manage, making sure his posture was correct. His eyes scanned the room quickly, taking in the handcrafted furniture that looked like it cost more than his whole house, and the bed that looked large enough to sleep five comfortably. His gaze paused when he locked eyes with the sharply dressed man sitting at a dining table near the center of the room.

While it as certainly true that Mr. Nikos could be described as intimidating, it was more because of his sharp, aristocratic features, and the confidence in his bearing.

This was a man that was just as certain of his own skill and strength as any veteran Huntsman. His calm demeanor, and piercing eyes, the same color as Pyrrha's gave Jaune the impression that this man was completely in control of everything around him.

Jaune's first thought was _'Wow, prayer really_ does _work. He's not a giant!'_

This was quickly followed by: _'This man has gravitas. And considering where we are, he would have no trouble paying someone to make me disappear…'_

His nervousness returned with a vengeance.

The man stood, reaching out to give Jaune's hand a firm shake before ushering him into a chair. "Please, have a seat, Mr. Arc. I've been expecting you for a while now. I took the liberty of ordering a light meal for us, I thought you would be hungry. I hope you like venison, I ordered Cuissot de Chevreuil sauce Grand Veneur, et Champignons des Bois."

Jaune was incredibly thankful in that moment for Grand Mere Arc insisting that all her grandchildren spoke the original language of their homeland. He would even be able to sample some of the rich cuisine! Venison and forest mushrooms in sauce sounded delicious!

"Um, thank you, sir," Jaune stated, as he made himself comfortable, falling back on the manners that had been drilled into him at a young age. "Pyrrha speaks very highly of you."

Something else he could thank Grand Mere Arc for. Once he was seated, and Mr. Nikos had poured the wine, a very aged vintage of _Chateau Auremont,_ the two began to eat.

The food was as delicious as Jaune had hoped, bursts of flavors cascading across his tongue. He would have to see if he could get the recipe later. Pyrrha would love this.

Unfortunately, all good things must end, and half way through the meal, Mr. Nikos decided to start a conversation. "So, tell me Mr. Arc, why did you decide to become a Huntsman?"

The man somehow even made wiping his mouth with a napkin seem imperious and intimidating. However, Jaune recovered quickly, having prepared for this question. "Well at first it was because I wanted to be a hero. I mean, I still _do,_ just not the hero I originally wanted to be."

"Oh? And what kind of hero is that?"

Jaune couldn't stop the self-deprecating laugh that escaped him. He really wished that it wasn't his go to reaction to tense situations, because he could feel Mr. Nikos' penetrating stare as he set down his napkin. "I wanted to be a fairytale hero fighting for fame and glory. A shining beacon against the Grimm."

The rest of Mr. Nikos' face was obscured as he steepled his hands in front of his face, fingertips pressed together. "And I assume this also means 'getting the girl, yes?"

"Well, it was definitely part of the macho fantasy I had in my head, yes."

"Oh? So, my daughter is a prize to be won?"

Frustration immediately overtook Jaune. That wasn't what he meant at all! It was like the man was goading him, choosing to take his words in the worst possible way!

"No! I never felt that way about Pyrrha! She's my best friend! My partner! She's kind, and strong, smart, compassionate…" He was beginning to ramble, another defense mechanism.

Jaune still couldn't see half of Mr. Nikos' face, but he could feel the man's disapproval was palpable. He was losing ground. If this were a business negotiation, he would be losing. Badly.

Jaune took another deep breath, calming himself as he collected his thoughts, pushing aside all his nerves, and emotions. He needed to be calm and rational about this. He needed to unbalance his opponent, regain ground. "Look, when I first started at Beacon, I'll admit, I had a huge chip on my shoulder. I had all these dumb, macho ideas in my head, and made some stupid decisions because I was so determined to prove how strong and manly I was. Luckily, Pyrrha decided to put up with me anyway. She is the first person to ever believe in me and my dream."

Mr. Nikos' gaze softened slightly at the sincerity of Jaune's words. "She has helped train you has she not?" He finally relaxed his posture, sipping his wine.

"Well, yeah. My combat foundation…wasn't very strong when I got to Beacon. And I thought that being strong meant doing everything by myself."

"You are aware that you lead a _team_ yes?"

"Trust me, I know. Like I said, thanks to your daughter's training, I've come a long way both as a leader, and a Huntsman."

"And are you aware…of the significance of her choosing to make you her training partner?"

"Um…we're partners?"

"Yes. Indeed." Mr. Nikos' tone was dry as he took a rather large sip of his wine, draining the glass, and pouring more. "But do you understand what that means?"

Jaune's tone was firm, his gaze unflinching as he responded. "We look out for each other. Cover each other's weaknesses. We share hopes, dreams, everything with our partners. This is especially true for a team leader. A leader, a man provides."

For the first time in the conversation, Jaune could detect a grudging respect in the man's gaze. Jaune acknowledged it with a salute of his wine glass. "I meant more of the history of the tradition, and what it means here, though you aren't far off."

Jaune could feel himself losing ground here, he was missing something that was obvious, a critical piece of intel. It was like they were having two different conversations.

"In Mistrali culture, approaching someone and offering to train with them, sharpening each other in the fires of combat, is as much a declaration of courtship as baking and songs is to Valeans."

Jaune was stunned. _'I am such an idiot. She's been interested in me way longer than I thought. As soon as I get back, I'll have to make some brownies or something for her as an apology.'_

The irony of this thought, and its implications in regard to Valean courtship, was not lost on Jaune. ' _Yes. I definitely have a lot of apologizing to do…'_

Mr. Nikos was apparently feeling merciful with most of two glasses of wine in his system, because he chose to focus on eating for a moment, giving Jaune a chance to collect his thoughts. "Do you believe in dating with intention?"

"Intention for what sir?"

"For the eventuality of marriage, of course! Never enter into an arrangement with someone else without a clear end goal in mind!"

Jaune was again left stunned, but he rallied admirably. "I haven't really thought that far ahead, we haven't been dating for very long yet, but sure, I believe so. I mean, she's my best friend, so whatever she wants out of our relationship, I'll do my best to provide."

Mr. Nikos began to relax further at that answer, apparently reassured by the conviction in Jaune's tone. He truly meant what he was saying.

In turn, Jaune began to relax, finishing his meal, before gathering his courage to address something that was confusing him greatly. "I have to say sir, you're different from how I imagined."

"Oh? And how is that, exactly?"

This was it. Jaune took another moment to center himself. He was committed now. If being Pyrrha's partner truly meant what Mr. Nikos said it did, if they were truly going to "date with intention", be in the public eye, then Jaune had to understand. He had to know what was wrong with Pyrrha's relationship. She needed answers.

He would provide.

"Well, given the way your daughter talks about you, I expected you to be rather cold, calculating, and dismissive of her feelings. Jaune's tone hardened at this pronouncement. Now it was his turn to glare, leveling a challenging gaze at his girlfriend's father. "You have the cold, and calculating down, but you seem to care about your daughter. Why be so cold and dismissive?"

The blonde was startled at Mr. Nikos' horrified expression. _'Does he truly not know what he's done to Pyrrha?'_

Jaune felt emboldened by a spike of annoyance on his girlfriend's behalf, "She thinks she would have been better off born a boy, because business is dominated by men and she never had a head for it."

"Oum, I truly am I terrible father," the man lamented, taking a moment sip his wine and collect his thoughts, "I will admit I was never the greatest at showing affection when Pyrrha was growing up. Did you know that before she picked up a spear and started to train to become a Huntress, she wanted to be a businessman like me?"

Jaune was at a loss. He had _not_ known that about his partner.

Mr. Nikos chuckled, amused at Jaune's startled expression. "Indeed. She came to me with a little pocket notebook, and a pencil, and wanted me to teach her about budgets, inventory, resources, the whole lot. However, numbers are _not_ my daughter's forte, as you know."

"Then why is she convinced that she should have been born a man so that you would be proud of her? Why does she see herself as a failure in your eyes?" Anger surged through him as Jaune recalled her bitter tears, her disappointment that she would never be what her father wanted.

Mr. Nikos' reply was subdued, and pensive, speaking as much to himself as he was to Jaune. "Yes, business is male dominated, which is precisely why I was trying to teach Pyrrha the skills and persona she would need to cultivate to be successful in a world that wants nothing more than to use her and see her fail, while lining their own pockets. But it was never my intent for Pyrrha to think that!"

"If that's the case sir, your communication skills could use some…refinement."

"I will not deny that. When I saw that my dear little girl's talents took more after her mother, that she lacked the cold, calculating persona necessary for business, I did everything I could to dissuade her from my profession. I taught her practical skills she would need as an adult, but I told her she would never be like me. She could never follow my footsteps…"

Having grown up in a house full of women, Jaune saw the immediate flaw in Mr. Nikos' message. "She thought it was because she wasn't worthy because of lack of skill and male equipment."

"Yes. Pyrrha is much like her mother; open, honest, and caring. To truly succeed in business, she could not be herself. I refused to let that happen. When I dissuaded her from pursuing a career in business, I only wanted to protect her. Losing her smile just to be my successor in the business world was not worth it."

Jaune took a moment to digest this information, finishing his wine before replying. Perhaps the drink had gone to his head. Maybe it was the bleed off of adrenaline now that the emotional tension had drained from the room, and Jaune wasn't angry anymore. Either way, his reply was direct and far more honest than either of them expected. "You are an idiot. And have _terrible_ communication skills."

The man chuckled, raising his wine glass in salute, "A fair point, Mr. Arc, and very aptly put. I promise I will talk to Pyrrha and get this matter settled as soon as possible."

"Thank you. That's all I ask."

Mr. Nikos refilled their wine. Now that the elephant in the room had been addressed, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.

"Can I ask something else that's been bothering me?"

"At this point, Mr. Arc, I doubt anything you say could be more intense than the discussion we just finished."

"Why hire so many different instructors to train Pyrrha if your wife is such an amazing fighter?" Jaune asked, sipping his refilled wine.

The businessman shivered, "I love my wife, truly. She is my partner, covering my weaknesses perfectly. She is a cheerful, exuberant people person..."

"I'm sensing a but here…"

"Indeed. My lively wife is a nurturing, sweet woman. Outside of combat. I saved my little girl from her mother's crazy training ideas. She wanted her to do things like 1,000 burpees a day. With weights! It was madness! A fantastic Huntress my wife may be, but a good coach she is not."

Jaune couldn't help but agree.

"Back to the topic at hand, that brings us again to you, Mr. Arc." Mr. Nikos finished his glass of wine, looking remarkably unaffected by the alcohol.

"What about me?"

"You are my daughter's partner. You now know fully what that means. And as the leader of your team, you are that, and more. You are also a provider, yes?"

Jaune gave a firm nod, there was no denying that. He saw providing for his team as his duty, after all.

"Excellent! I have worked tirelessly to provide for my little girl, doing my best to be sure she would have everything that she needs. That she is comfortable, safe, and happy. I need to know that you can do the same."

Mr. Nikos clapped his hands together, smiling for the first time since Jaune had entered the room. It made him look years younger, but more importantly, Jaune recognized that smile.

It was the same as Pyrrha's.

Jaune felt the last of his anger leave him in that moment. The man had done his best with the skills he had. Jaune would give him a chance. For Pyrrha's sake.

Mr. Nikos was tense as he wandered across the room. "With your particular set of skills, you just might be able to do it." That sort of tenseness in the muscles, that anticipatory stride, like he was about to step into the arena…

Something else Pyrrha got from her father.

Alarm bells began to blare mentally, as Jaune began to discreetly take in his surroundings, searching for assassins. "Uh, I'm not really the best with combat, yet sir. That is definitely Pyrrha's area of expertise."

"I don't mean physical skills! You had no previous combat training, very little prospects as a Huntsman, a distinct lack of social refinement, and no degree in business." Mr. Nikos chuckled.

' _Tell me how you really feel…'_ Jaune thought.

"Even so, you are responsible for helping create one of the most popular collector's trends in the last 20 years! Very impressive! Not something I could claim at your age, certainly!" Mr. Nikos proclaimed, as he opened a nearby cabinet.

"Um, yes?" Jaune's voice cracked slightly from nervousness. Mr. Nikos was slightly impressed, though Jaune couldn't see it, since he was staring at the man's back.

"That shows a level of skill and savvy that is just what my princess needs at her side. And you will need every bit of your skill and cunning to survive being in the public eye! If there's one thing the masses love more than a celebrity, it's tearing them down. However, before I give you my blessing to pursue my daughter, and make your relationship officially public, I must know that you will be able to take care of her."

"Oh? And how's that sir?" Jaune wondered, tensing for impending combat.

"Why a contest of skill, of course!" the man replied.

Jaune gulped audibly, doing his best not to break into a nervous sweat. This was Pyrrha's father, after all. Visions of an arena duel flashed into his mind, along with all the ways it would go horribly for him, despite the man's lack of being a Huntsman. Given the man's exceptional alcohol tolerance, Jaune was fairly certain that the man had his aura active.

Even though the irrational fear had returned, he was proud of how little his voice shook when he responded, "Okay sir. What weapons are we using?"

"Weapons?" the older man queried, before comprehension dawned, "Oh _Oum_ , no! This will not be a physical duel! We will not be using traditional weapons. As I've said, my daughter and her mother are the physical fighters in this family, not I."

Now it was Jaune's turn to be confused, "Then what sort of contest did you have in mind, sir?"

"It's simple really," the man replied, "We will be engaging in a contest more blood thirsty and cut-throat than any arena duel. We will be using the elegant weapon of our own wits in a duel...of business."

Jaune felt his body begin to relax, if only just now that the threat of physical dismemberment had been replaced with the much more manageable prospect of abject humiliation. Since this contest was about wits, he felt he stood a reasonable chance of success. Once again using the breathing techniques taught to him by Ren, Jaune did his best to quiet his mind and slow his heart beat for the challenge ahead.

All that work was undone when his girlfriend's father came back from a nearby cabinet bearing a very familiar box, "Tell me Jaune, are you familiar with a game called _Tycoon_?"

He smiled.


	19. Chapter 19

They found the warehouse in a very short amount of time. Cinder's scroll led them to it, thanks to the tracking chips she had installed in the phones of all her associates. Her paranoia was serving them well.

Pyrrha, Nora, Coco, Velvet, and the entirety of Team NDGO had joined professor Goodwitch as backup to retrieve the stolen crops. Under the professor's direction, they had entrenched themselves in a nearby abandoned office building almost directly across from their target.

They had been waiting for an hour, surveilling all the potential entrances and exits to the warehouse that they could find without giving away their position.

Once they were certain that no one had entered or left the warehouse in the time that they had been there, thanks to a pair of Atlasian military grade binoculars, which came equipped with a heat sensing mode capable of being used even in an urban environment.

This gave the group a rough estimate of the numbers they were facing despite their lack of clear vantage points to begin to plan their assault.

There were two main entrances. Goodwitch would take Coco, and half of Team NDGO to breech the right side. Pyrrha, Nora, Velvet, and the other half of Team NDGO would take the right.

They would strike, hard, fast, and without mercy.

The recovery of chocolate depended on it.

After one last sweep with the binoculars to get a final count, the teams of Huntresses got into position.

Gwen crouched next to Dew, palming a few of her favorite throwing knives as she made sure her hair was tied back. She loved it, but it tended to get in her eyes; for someone with a combat style relying on accuracy, blindness was death.

Dew gave her a nod as Gwen turned to her for inspection, letting her know that her hair was combat ready. Luckily for her, Dew's dark blonde hair was longer, and heavier than her teammate's, so she didn't have to worry about it too much.

Her spear utilized Dust rounds that produced big explosions. Accuracy didn't matter much when things went boom regardless of a direct hit.

She checked her Dust containers before turning address her teammate. "You want one of my spare Dust vials, in case you have to use your semblance? You know how aura intensive it is."

"Thanks, but I'm good. With Ms. Sunglasses McMinigun up there taking the lead, I doubt we'll even get the chance to fight. If these thieves have any sense, they'll surrender right away."

Coco turned toward the duo, giving them a wink. "That's true, but you're assuming these guys are smart. They _were_ dumb enough to mess with Vale's chocolate supply after all. Thank Oum for that cute Arc kid, else we'd be climbing the walls at this point."

The others gave a nod to that, before Dew decide to address something that had been on her mind for the last few days. Activating her comm link, she couldn't resist asking, "Hey, Nikos, is it true that the limited edition of your partner, the one with the extra stuffing in the front is built to scale?"

There was silence over the comm before Pyrrha began to sputter.

She was saved from responding by Nora, who chose that moment to chime in, "Judging by all the booping Ren and I hear coming from their room when Jaune leaves a sock on the door handle, I'm betting it is!"

Despite her mortification, Pyrrha still retained enough sense to limit her chastisement to a whisper yell over the open comm, " _Nora!"_

Octavia chose that moment to chime in, loading a fire Dust round into her kris short sword. "Spill the beans girl! Help a sister out!"

Luckily for Pyrrha's continued sanity, Nebula decided to pull rank and get her team back under control. With a flip of her indigo colored hair, she spoke, "Octavia, calm your breast plate before you lactate. Any thirstier and you'll die of dehydration before we even take the building."

Dew and Gwen couldn't resist chiming in over the comm at their leader's declaration.

"Sweet Oum, that was terrible, Boss."

"Agreed. That was such an outdated reference." Octavia chirped.

Not wanting to feel left out, Nora decided to make her feelings known over the comms despite being right next to Nebula. "Boo this woman. Boo her, I say! _"_

As one the rest of Team NDGO, Nora, and even Velvet gave a fiercely stage whispered " _BOOOOO!"_

"Rude. As both the oldest, and the leader, it is my solemn duty to ensure that we as a team remember iconic pop culture references as the great moments in Remnant's history that they are."

"Speaking for the Faunus, regardless of race, I'm pretty sure that that is one piece of history we would be better off not remembering."

"That's not as bad as our friend Yang." Pyrrha opined, finally over her mortification, "She's a big fan of puns."

" _Shhhh!"_ Octavia whispered, putting a finger on Pyrrha's lips. "You'll give her ideas…"

"Yeah," Velvet stated, morphing her camera into a hard-light projection of Coco's minigun, "the only ideas I want to hear about are the next desserts Pyrrha can get Jaune to make."

"Wait, he _cooks_ too?" Dew and Gwen asked simultaneously.

"That's just not fair." Nebula lamented, "Nikos' boyfriend bakes, Valkyrie's cooks, they are cute, _and_ attentive? Redheads have all the luck. It's like an Oum damned conspiracy."

"You're wrong." Nora declared. She pulled Octavia and Pyrrha toward her, putting her arms around their shoulders and grinning unrepentantly, "It's a Sisterhood. The Sisterhood of the Travelling MC1R gene!"

"Hear that Octavia? Better jot that down for our biology exam next week. Maintaining your GPA is likely going to be the only satisfaction you get for a while unless your fellow redheads share from their secret stable of men."

"We do _not_ have a stable." Pyrrha declared firmly, cutting off Octavia's biting retort to Gwen's sass.

"Yeah! Our boyfriends are worth at least four of any other guy out there. We're plenty happy!"

This declaration still didn't stop her from whispering into the comm for everyone to hear, "Jaune _does_ have a few unattached male cousins about your age though. We can introduce you ladies during the festival!"

"Is this a bribe?" Nebula asked, "Because unless they're as good as your boyfriends, it's definitely not going to work."

"Yeah," Octavia declared with righteous indignation at the sheer idea of bribery, "We'll only throw the match if they put out!"

"Oum! Is perpetual thirst also part of the MC1R gene?" Dew snarked. "Don't make Nebula use that awful reference again.

"Easy for you to say, Miss ' _I have a legion of fan boys that follow me around and do my bidding.'_ Some of us don't have it so easy! If my dry spell lasts any longer, I'll qualify as a Vacuan land mark!"

" _Enough!"_ Glynda declared quietly, but firmly. "Stow the teenage shenanigans ladies and focus. You're supposed to be professionals. _Act_ like it."

There was a chorus of apologies, and the Huntresses finally got ready to breech the building and rescue the poor cocoa beans from the ruthless clutches of evil.

"Hey Nebula," Nora enquired as she began to ready Magnhild for the breech, "Do you have any spare lightning Dust you aren't using for you crossbow bolts?"

"I believe so, why?"

"My semblance lets me absorb electricity and get stronger."

"I'll keep that in mind in case we have to fight later," she affirmed, reaching into her bandolier to hand Nora a small lightning Dust crystal.

Knowing that Pyrrha hated using her semblance too much and wanting to keep _some_ tactical advantages for the tournament, Nora decided to face the situation and be the one to bust open the door.

Once she had absorbed the energy of the lightning, her body converting it into muscle growth and aura, she turned to Pyrrha. "Ready when you are!"

Pyrrha smirked, firming her stance, and getting her weapons ready. With a thrust of her weapon she declared, "Nora. Drop the hammer!"

With a cheerful salute and a powerful yell of " **NORA SMASH!** " the building was officially breeched.

The door bent inward, folding like cheap paper, and flew free of the frame to land in the center of the room, startling the White Fang workers that were busy packing up several crates with equipment and cocoa plants.

The flying door was startling, but it was nothing compared to the other main door of the warehouse being surrounded by a purple aura and gently lifting out of its frame to reveal the stern visage of Professor Glynda Goodwitch, a Huntress whose reputation extended well beyond the classroom.

Even worse, a brunette wearing sunglasses stepped past the woman to reveal a herself to be holding a large minigun aimed threateningly in their general direction. "You've taken our chocolate. Prepare to die."

As if this wasn't terrifying enough, another brunette emerged from the other entrance, revealing herself to be a bunny Faunus wielding a near identical minigun, and loudly proclaiming with a maniacal grin, "Heeeerrre's _Bunny!'_

The slightly crazed look in the Faunus girl's eyes, coupled with the intense glare of the blonde professor had the gathered flunkies shaking in their masks. This was to be expected, since contrary to popular belief, most White Fang members had very little combat training.

The only thing these workers had in common with the military was a uniform dress code.

These workers were not fanatics. Their belief in Faunus rights did not outweigh their survival instinct. So, when the professor and gun-toting young women were joined by six other Huntresses, one of whom being _Pyrrha "_ Invincible Girl" _Nikos,_ the eighteen workers slowly stopped what they were doing.

The surrounded White Fang looked at each other, silently coming to a decision. Almost simultaneously, they all slowly raised their hands, showing that they were unarmed, before getting down on their knees, hands still raised above their head.

Nora, who still had arcs of electricity dancing across her skin, and a battle-hungry gleam in her eye, summed up the thoughts of the invading Huntresses as her grin slowly faded to be replaced with a scowl. "Well _that_ was anti-climactic…"

Nebula, feeling more than a little frustrated that she no longer had a target for her rush of adrenaline barked out in her best team leader tone, "Everyone on the ground, now!"

The kneeling Faunus exchanged another wave of silent communication before laying down on their stomachs, hands stretched out in front of them. "Wow, I can't believe that worked." Gwen stated.

Glynda pulled out her scroll, sending out an alert to the local police that they had tracked down the missing cocoa plants as well as the thieves. Police vehicles would be there in moments.

Team NDGO had decided to spread out and make sure the area was secure when everyone was startled by the loud _bang_ of a door forcefully opening and hitting a wall.

The Huntresses all tensed, eyes drawn to the upper-catwalk of the building, where an unexplored office was located, training their weapons on the entrance.

When a figure dressed in a rather stylish white coat emerged, spinning his cane, and grinning carelessly, he was greeted to the sight of his employees on the floor, and nine combat ready Huntresses glaring at him.

Roman Torchwick surveyed the room calmly, eyes taking in everything around him in a few short seconds. A firm believer in the power of theatrics, as well as manners, Roman swept his hat off his head, bending at the waist in an exaggerated courtly bow.

"Good afternoon, ladies. Sorry I can't offer you anything to drink, it seems all my employees are slacking on the job." He straightened from his bow, placing his hat back on his head and glared down at the prone White Fang lackeys. "I swear I told my rescue pets to fetch, not play dead…"

Glynda glared up at the notorious criminal, aura flaring menacingly around her. "The authorities are already on their way Mr. Torchwick. Surrender peacefully. We have you surrounded. This doesn't have to get violent. 

She ignored the angry mutterings of the other women, and Nora's dejected " _Awwww…"_

"Well never let it be said that Roman Torchwick left a woman unsatisfied." The thief raised his hands above his head, slowly putting his cane down on the ground as NDGO advanced on him under the watchful eyes of the rest of the Huntresses. "I do feel I should warn you, however, I was a bit _occupied_ when you showed up, so my associate will be out momentarily."

NDGO tensed at that pronouncement, Octavia and Nebula approaching more warily, as they took the stairs on the left of the catwalk which were closest to the office.

Dew and Gwen approached from the right, weapons trained on Torchwick as their teammates closed in on the office.

As Nebula and Octavia approached the door, a girl came out of the office wearing a very frilly dress and yawning cutely. She looked as though she had just been awakened by all the commotion, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and staring blearily at everything around her.

"This is your 'associate'. I assume?" Nebula asked as she pointed her crossbow at her.

The girl turned to stare in her direction, letting out another yawn.

"Don't move!" Octavia barked.

The girl turned to stare at her next, head tilted slightly as she stretched.

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?" Octavia demanded, brandishing her kris at the girl.

In answer, the girl slowly reached into her dress skirt, retrieving her phone from a hidden pocket. In a blink, the girl was typing on her scroll. When she was done she held it out, displaying the screen for NDGO to see.

The message was a mix of emojis, and actual text, displaying an ice cream sundae emoji, as well as explaining that she was mute, and asking who they were and what they were going to do to them.

"Your name is ice cream?" Dew enquired. "That's adorable! How old are you sweetie? Don't worry, we won't take your scroll. Do you know sign language?"

The girl just gave her a deadpan stare, sharply gesturing to the scroll she held in her hand.

Roman chuckled. "Her name isn't ice cream. It's Neo. As in Neopolitan."

"Well that explains the hair." Gwen remarked with a gesture, indicating the girl's unique pink and brown colored hair. She crouched down a bit, until she was at eye level. "What's your story kiddo? Is Torchwick here your dad?"

The girl looked startled for a moment, rearing back in shock before dissolving into a fit of silent laughter, covering her mouth with her hands. Once she got her giggles under control, she began furiously typing on her scroll again before holding it out for the girls' inspection.

 _He's not my father, but he likes it when I call him "Daddy"._ Neo punctuated this statement with a salacious wink, and a lick of her lips as she stared at Torchwick.

NDGO looked mortified as they turned to the chuckling man. "Now, now, Buttercup. Don't be rude. It's not nice to rub others' dry spells in their faces like that."

"H-how did you know?!" Octavia exclaimed.

Neo held out her phone. _We didn't. You just told us._

Octavia rounded on Torchwick next, "What about you, you sicko?! Even if she isn't your daughter, you've got to be in your thirties! And she's just a child!"

"Yeah!" Dew added, "Does the unquenchable thirst of the MC1R gene truly know no bounds?!"

"I hardly believe that this is the time, ladies…" Pyrrha called from below.

Neo's eyes widened as she saw Pyrrha, before letting out a silent squeal and clapping excitedly. Unfortunately for Roman, this just reinforced Neo's childlike innocence.

That still didn't stop NDGO from brandishing their weapons when Neo turned to suddenly disappear back into the office. She reemerged a few moments later carrying two unboxed plushies of Jaune and Pyrrha.

Faster than NDGO could react, Neo jumped from the catwalk and was invading Pyrrha's personal space.

Well accustomed to overzealous fans, and confident in her ability to defend herself, Pyrrha gave Neo her usual public smile. "Hello. Is there something I can help you with?"

In reply, Neo tapped away on her phone, before holding it out for Pyrrha to read. _Can you sign these? And the two boxed ones in the office? They'll be worth a small fortune in a few years once your team graduates Beacon._

Pyrrha retrieved a pen from a small pocket sewn into her skirt just for this purpose. With her fame, it was inevitable that she would be stopped in the street at some point and asked for an autograph, so her combat gear was modified after her first championship win.

"I'm not sure how well this is going to show up. This is just a regular ink pen."

 _That's fine._ Neo held up the Pyrrha plush first. _Could you write "Property of Jaune Arc on one of the legs?_

Pyrrha paused in the middle of transcribing the message from Neo's screen to stare in embarrassed bewilderment at her innocent, hopeful expression. "Okay everyone, she is definitely _not_ as young as she appears."

 _I'm 29. But thank you for noticing that I could totally pass for a teenager. That brings me more joy than I can possibly express._

After Pyrrha finished with the first plush, Neo held up the Jaune plushie to her. _This time: Property of Pyrrha Nikos. Right between the legs. Don't worry, I'm sure there's enough padding there to fit all that._

The lascivious wink Neo gave her made Pyrrha suddenly very nervous. Still, she went along with it, seeing no harm. The police were on their way, and soon this whole ordeal would be over.

And Jaune would make her cake.

Once she finished writing the message, with room to spare, Pyrrha replaced her pen, and went back to watching the prisoners.

 _Thanks for doing this! It's gonna make my role playing so much more authentic, like they just got a matching couples tattoo! It's part of my headcanon!_

"Role Playing?" Pyrrha couldn't help but ask.

Neo gave her a bright, cheerful smile, and a nod. _Like this. Watch._

She bent the Pyrrha plushie over the scroll and placed the Jaune plushie behind it. The fresh autographs that Pyrrha had just signed on the plushies really did resemble tattoos. Their contrast became obvious as soon as Neo made the Jaune plushie begin to thrust his hips vigorously.

Pyrrha began to blush, looking away pointedly. There were cheers and whistles from Nebula, Dew, and Gwen. Octavia ignored them, doing her best to maintain a professional attitude as she heard sirens approaching.

The rest of her team still heard her mutter angrily "Even the plushies have a more active love life than I do…"

As the police finally arrived and began to secure the scene and interview the Huntresses, Roman decided it was time to enact his grand master plan for doing what he did best: Lie, steal, cheat, and survive.

As officers led Roman past Glynda, and toward the waiting airship he made his move. "Out of professional curiosity, how exactly _did_ you find our little operation?"

Glynda turned to him, fixing him with Teacher Glare #3, perfect for interrogations. "We uncovered Ms. Fall and her associates posing as students from Haven. We searched her scroll and discovered your location based on the tracking chip she implanted on your own scrolls."

Roman couldn't help the amused chuckle that escaped his lips. "Of course you did."

"You do not seem surprised at this, Mr. Torchwick."

Roman let out another snort of amusement. "Of course not. Cinder's entire cover was pretending to a seventeen-year-old and covertly sneaking into a school of teenagers, so she could enact her master plan. You've met the woman. Frankly, I'm surprised that it took you _this_ long to bust her."

Glynda gave the two officers escorting Roman a nod, and they calmly stepped away from him. As a fully licensed Huntress, she had the authority to interrogate criminals.

And if she made him talk, it meant less paperwork for them later.

"Very well, Mr. Torchwick. What do you know?"

"Ah, ah, ah…that's not how this works. I need assurances first. Neo and I go free. Full immunity, and we will sing like baby Nevermores."

"That depends on what information you have. I cannot simply guarantee a deal like that without knowing what you offer."

Roman decided to lead with his ace. "She wants the Maidens…"

Glynda was too much of a veteran Huntress and educator to betray her shock. Her glare did intensify though, and her tone became noticeably more clipped, "How exactly do you know that, Mr. Torchwick?"

Roman gave her his most roguish smirk. "I know a great deal more than _that._ I also know what she plans to do with all the Dust she's had me collecting, what she plans to do with a young man named Jaune Arc, and why she's so interested in the Atlasian military's new security droids. She's not the only one that knows how to hack a scroll."

Glynda's eyes narrowed. "Let me make a call."

"You do that. And be sure to get General James Ironwood too. I know you and Ozpin are friends with him, and I'll need to be sure he plays nice. He'll definitely be interested in what I have to say."

Ten minutes later Roman was uncuffed, and in a video conference call with Headmaster Ozpin and General James Ironwood. "Tell us what you know," the leader of Atlas' military demanded.

"Now James. The man is cooperating. He isn't a military recruit. No need to bark at him."

Ironwood's hologram turned to glare at Ozpin's. "The man is a criminal! He's lucky I don't haul him to the brig and throw away the key!"

Roman spoke up at that point. Sure, watching these two go at it was fun, but they were wasting valuable time. "As much fun as your little lover's quarrel is…"

Glynda masked her snort of laughter as a poorly disguised cough.

"We are wasting valuable time here. First, I need to know that our deal of immunity extends to my partner Neo as well."

As if summoned, the young woman came skipping up to him, smiling brightly and carrying her newly signed plushies in one hand. The other was occupied with spinning a pair of police handcuffs on her index finger.

"Hello, Cupcake! Let yourself out?" Roman nodded to the still spinning handcuffs. In response, Neo held up her scroll. _Once the cops saw you get released, one of them came over and unlocked mine. I lifted the cuffs and key off him. I figure we could use them later._

The water, eggplant, and smirking emoji let Roman know exactly what she meant by that.

 _Plus, I can tell you where we were ordered to stash the strawberries…_

Ozpin interjected before Ironwood could build up steam again. Based on intelligence gathered from her friends and sister, Ozpin knew that chocolate and strawberries were Ms. Nikos', and Ms. Rose's favorite foods.

With her silver eyes finally awakened, and the source of Mr. Arc's Maiden powers still unclear, he _needed_ them both to be ready. Soon.

A storm was on the horizon.

That is why he authorized the retrieval mission in the first place. It was his hope that recovering Ms. Rose's favorite food would aid her recovery. Likewise, getting more chocolate for Ms. Nikos would make Mr. Arc more amenable to their cause.

"Very well. Ms. Neopolitan was it?"

The young woman gave him a cheerful nod.

"I've discussed this with the Council. If your information is credible, you will be given full immunity in exchange for your cooperation."

Ironwood's hologram turned to gape at him. "Ozpin you cannot be serious?!"

"I assure you James, I am. You are the one always telling me to act, yes? I'm simply taking your advice."

"I meant hunting down the Queen's assets in Vale, not making deals with criminal scum! How can the Council even allow this?!"

The Council is willing to back me because we have discovered irrefutable proof of a spy working for a complete unknown. There's no telling where other leaks could be. It is now our job to plug the leak; with whatever tools we have available."

"Hang on!" Roman interjected, "I dress far too well to be described as scum! This jacket likely cost more lien that you make in a year!"

Roman reached into the breast pocket of said jacket, retrieving his cigar case and a lighter. He was just about to light up when a purple glow surrounded his lighter, preventing him from opening it. "Hey!"

"Smoking is bad for your health. And my patience." Glynda declared firmly, glaring at Torchwick as well as the two Headmasters.

"Fine, fine. Ruin my entire day…"

Ironwood and Ozpin averted their eyes under Glynda's Fierce Glare #4, perfect for stopping troublesome teens. Naturally, it worked perfectly on bickering idiots, regardless of age.

"Tell us everything. Start at the beginning."

Roman gave her another courtly, exaggerated bow. "As the lady commands. Let's start with Mountain Glenn…"

 **XXX**

Towers gleamed in the distance, freshly cut diamonds in the crown of industry. The city was truly a technological utopia; a marvel of ingenuity and the triumph of the simple soul.Houses were painted in bright, vibrant colors, matching the mood of the people of the tiny suburb. Electric cars with solar panels sat proudly in driveways.

Kids laughed in delight as they played on lush, manicured lawns. Wives sat together socializing and relaxing in the sunshine. Husbands stood around grills, tending meat, and enjoying ice-cold beers. The gentle breeze carried the scent of freshly mowed lawns and flourishing flower gardens, and sunshine. It was a perfect day for the residents of Vacuo.

You would never guess it was the end of the world.

Across the ocean, on the distant continent of Mistral, a force was gathering. An endless army of darkness fueled by the hopes, dreams, and blood of the people. They had done the unthinkable. They had given themselves over willingly to the machine, becoming nothing more than insignificant pieces of a much larger whole.

It was inevitable now. The end was coming, and there was nothing to be done. Soon, the endless army would sweep across the land like a plague, devouring everything in its path, stripping the land of everything that could be assimilated, and discarding what could not…

 **XXX**

' _It's all thanks to that damned_ Click Speak!'

Iskander Nikos stared at the board in consternation, and grudging respect. They had been playing for a little over an hour judging by the clock on the wall, and in that time, corporations had risen and fallen, there had been both a recession and an economic boom in the same turn, and the societies of the Kingdoms had been completely changed based solely the technology their companies had created.

Iskander was winning at first, his age and experience working well for him as he quickly began to dominate Vacuo and Vale, leading to the idyllic scene that he was currently envisioning for his technological utopia of a perfect weekend afternoon.

However, he was completely unprepared five turns in, when he triggered Jaune's trap card, allowing his opponent to acquire all the workers he had laid off due to shortages or mergers.

The boy had then used that labor force to create a truly insidious technology that he called Click Chat, a way to send brief images to people that were deleted after a few seconds, leaving no data trail or photo behind.

It quickly became _very_ popular with couples.

As his opponent managed to acquire another one of his properties, collecting money from the bank, and gaining the foothold he needed to begin to move his company into Vale, Iskander had to give the lad credit.

He was very skilled.

He chanced a glance away from the board, hoping to get an idea of the boy's next move, but it was all for naught. Arc was proving just as unreadable as ever, simply staring at him unblinkingly over his steepled fingers, chin resting on his hands.

It was unnerving, as though every inch of his soul was being laid bare before his opponent. Iskander fought the urge to shudder. He knew businessmen that had been in the game longer than the boy had been alive that could not stare him down like that.

He had one last play he could make.

Iskander planned to bring all his armies of lawyers to bare, hoping to tie his opponent up in litigation for at least a few turns to get some breathing room, so he could hopefully hire on a new wave of workers, and begin expansion into a new market that his opponent had neglected, allowing him to strike directly at the heart of his adversary's empire.

Teenagers.

Breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and what was the most important breakfast food? Cereal, of course! With his new invention, a scale to tell exactly how many serving of cereal were in a box, you would always know how much cereal you had left!

It was brilliant!

He just had to get the board to approve of the idea! Unfortunately, luck was not on his side. Due to decreasing revenue from sales, he needed an almost perfect roll to convince them.

With a silent prayer to the dice gods, Iskander cast his lot.

His faith was rewarded…

' _A natural one?!_ '

With mocking laughter.

The man barely resisted the urge to put his head in his hands and scream. There was just no way this could get any worse!

How wrong he was. At that very moment, Jaune acquired one of his warehouses, and a new distribution route, effectively choking off the market in one of his key regions. To make matters worse, he played another trap card!

This one allowed him to lower insurance premiums for new workers that he acquired at any new property. That meant an increase in productivity, and a decrease in time needed to construct new buildings.

The final push had begun.

Steeling his resolve, Iskander moved forward with his original plan, tie his opponent up in litigation. That would ensure enough breathing room to hopefully get his cereal measuring cup off the ground. He believed in the power of breakfast!

Triggering several trap cards in quick succession, Iskander moved several of the small plastic tokens representing his legal team forward to stop his opponent's advance, at least for a turn.

He had to halt his rate of construction if he had any hope of making a comeback!

But just as his lawyers were moving in to tie construction up in an endless need for permits and forms signed in triplicate, his opponent decided to play it conservative.

Jaune stopped advancing, halting his progress just before Iskander's lawyers would have reached him. The boy even pulled his forces back, halting expansion, and focusing on using much of his current funds to buy much of the property around his position.

Unfortunately, this meant over half of Iskander's office spaces and distribution warehouses were now under his opponent's control.

What was worse is that his army was out of position to collect more resources to allow him to construct any sort of counter. There was no way to stop the buyout. This left him with several companies, but almost nowhere to store product, or have a place to ship it from!

Defeat seemed all but certain now. Like a man seeing the ocean for the first time, Iskander looked out at his opponent's forces arrayed against him and felt truly insignificant. Is this what others felt when they faced him?

Pyrrha's father allowed himself a brief, ironic smirk. A lesser man would likely be humbled, but he was Iskander Nikos, and he would not bow!

Iskander moved to consolidate his forces, getting everyone to retreat to his most important building, the corporate headquarters for his most important business _Buckled Hat Breakfast Foods_ , though everyone just called it _Obelisk_ due to a marketing rebranding to get more young adults to eat breakfast.

His strategy worked, allowing Iskander to consolidate his forces and launch an aggressive ad campaign to boost sales, and get the revenue to craft new roads and distribution routes.

He was unprepared for his opponent to show his first bit of real emotion all game, suddenly going from impassive staring to a chilling, wintry smirk.

"I make deals for a living Mr. Nikos. My currency is metal. Which would you like?" Jaune gestured to one side of the board, containing a card that once played would mean surrender for Iskander, but retirement with most of his wealth. "Silver?"

He waved his other hand, displaying the other half of the map where his ever-increasing army of lawyers and infrastructure was poised to devour the final remnants of Iskander's once vast technological and breakfast themed empire like a hungry beowolf and reduce him to a mere footnote in the story of Arc Industries' rise to dominance. "Or lead?"

Iskander let out a booming laugh, unable to contain his mirth. The boy's ambition was endless! He wanted to control the economy of the entire world, and he thought he could force Iskander out of the company that he had built? Such greed! Such arrogance!

He was impressed.

"I didn't get to be where I am now by surrendering Mr. Arc. If you wish to win this game, and truly become King of the Business World, you must realize that kings are an example! They must live larger than life to give their subordinates something to aspire to!"

"So even if I can't beat you, I can still leave behind an inspiring tale for my employees!"

The boy gave him a smile. "You've made your choice. Lead it is then…"

It was like watching a group of untrained peasant militia go against a fully armored cavalry unit.

Jaune consolidated his legal team and launched an aggressive ad campaign for his launch into several new markets, including breakfast foods.

Who would have thought that something like maple sausage on a stick wrapped in a pancake would sell? With Jaune's increase in revenue, and Iskander's flagging market growth, Vale and Vacuo quickly became dominated by Arc Industries.

But his opponent wasn't done. With another wintry smile, Jaune did something that would have given a man like Jacques Schnee a heart attack.

He triggered a trap card which gave a signing bonus, and paid tuition to any Faunus that wanted to study law.

This solidified his power base, giving him a near endless supply of lawyers to throw at any counter Iskander could make. Most of them were even poached from _his_ offices!

With his new endless horde of litigators, the Arc lad swept across the board like a plague, devouring up Iskander's businesses one by one, until only one was left.

His crown jewel _Buckled Hat Breakfast Foods._

With nothing to divert his attention, his opponent brought his full attention and resources to the task of finishing Iskander's last remaining business. The one he built from the ground up, all those turns ago…

The boy descended like a wrathful god, tying Iskander up in litigation, churning out products and advertising. He was an unstoppable juggernaut.

And so, it was that a few short turns later, after a decisive, brutal hostile take-over, that Iskander the Great Corp. was absorbed into Arc Industries, creating a near monopoly on most every day goods and services.

With a victorious cry of "Tycoon!" Jaune Arc was the undisputable victor of their battle for global economic domination.

 **XXX**

Like the flipping of a switch, once the game was over, the tense atmosphere was replaced with relaxation and cheerful conversation. The two men chatted for a while about crazy business ideas that they had come up with, as well as sharing some of their favorite Pyrrha stories.

Apparently, Jaune's partner was an overly curious, overly clumsy toddler that was terrified that she would be sucked down the drain during bath time.

If he were a lesser man, he'd have blackmail material for _ages_.

The two relaxed after a while, sharing a pitcher of orange juice as they simply took a moment to bask in the quiet; a silence which was shattered by Jaune's scroll alerting him to a text message.

It was none other than Jaune's trusty second-in-command Ren. "Anything I should be concerned about?" Iskander asked.

"Not really sir. Just my teammate Ren informing me that Pyrrha and Nora just returned from a mission with Ms. Goodwitch. They secured the rest of the cocoa plants that were stolen a while ago, as well as apprehended some criminals. There were also a few strawberries, but unfortunately our friend Ruby ate all of those."

"Is everyone all right?" the man asked with an arched brow, setting his juice to the side.

"Everyone's fine. No injuries. It was a total shock and awe operation. With all the Huntresses there, and Ms. Goodwitch, it wasn't much of a fight. Though…"

Mr. Nikos quirked his brow again, "Yes?"

"Apparently I have to sign a few of the limited edition me plushies. It was a condition of the surrender of the criminals and getting the location of the remaining strawberries."

"Well then, it sounds as though we had best be getting to Beacon."

"Seems that way, Sir."

The two men stood, Iskander extending his hand to shake. "I believe after this meeting, and such a brilliantly played game of _Tycoon_ that you can call me Iskander."

Jaune was a little wary of the look Mr. Nikos was giving him. Was that what paternal pride looked like? He was admittedly unfamiliar with it. "Does this mean that we have your permission Mr. Ni-I mean Iskander?"

The man gave him a broad grin, and a firm pat on the back, which despite his seemingly compact frame nearly sent Jaune sprawling.

"Indeed, it does my boy. Indeed, it does. I give you my full blessing to court my daughter. Go on dates! Go shopping! Do all the things a young, new couple do! Embrace life to the fullest!"

Jaune fought the urge to blush, thoughts turning to the plushie display his team had found of themselves on their way to lunch a while ago. Suddenly, he was very glad that Mr. Nikos did not have an activated aura. That meant no chance of the man having a mind reading semblance.

"Right. If you say so, Sir."

The businessman gave him a glare. "R-right. If you say so, Iskander!"

"That's better."

It was Jaune's turn to become serious as he remembered one of the final terms of the wager they struck before their game commenced. "Don't forget, Iskander. You promised to talk to your daughter when we get to Beacon."

Iskander was impressed with the steel in the boy's spine. He was also glad it wasn't as unnerving to see as when they were competing earlier. "Of course, Jaune. I'm a man of my word."

The serious moment was interrupted by a scroll chime. This time it wasn't Jaune's.

"Ah. That would likely be my wife, Nike. She's probably calling to make sure I didn't have too much dessert with lunch." Iskander shuddered. "She can always tell. She'll make me run the obstacle courses she created for Pyrrha that I vetoed. I'd have to dodge bees! _Bees,_ Jaune!"

Jaune was startled by the manic, far off look in the man's eye, as though remembering some trauma that he could never quite repress.

"Okay then…I'll just wait for you downstairs in the lobby."

Suddenly, Iskander was all business again, as though the last few moments had never happened. "Yes. Of course, Jaune. I shall be with you momentarily."

Once his daughter's new official boyfriend had left the room, and he was truly alone, Iskander had to resist the urge to break down into a sobbing wreck. He had his first official loss in _Tycoon._

Jaune Arc was a merciless, soul crushing monster that laughed as he drank from a mug filled with the tears of his defeated adversaries.

That was not the reason he was almost a gibbering wreck though. In all the excitement, Iskander had forgotten to limit his pastry intake, inhaling three servings of Baklava.

He could already hear the dreaded buzzing of the bees that haunted his dreams.

Girding his loins, Iskander answered his scroll, coming up with a strategy on the fly that would hopefully get him out of running another one of his wife's insane obstacle courses.

"Nike! My beloved Goddess of Victory!"

The voice that answered him was deceptively soft, almost musical, like gentle spring rain on freshly mowed grass. "Hello, hubby. Did the meeting go well? Does the boy meet your standards? I've seen the pictures our daughter sent of her team. She does fine work. Takes after me."

"Well, it's funny you should mention that. Remember how you thought the boy may hold his own, based on the test scores you dug up from his old school?"

"Wait. Don't tell me the kid didn't even last five turns! Bah! All cute and no brains! Oh Oum, our daughter has terrible taste! I blame you!"

"Ehehehe…actually, it's funny you should say that. He won, actually."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, followed by a flat, emotionless delivery of " _What_."

"Just as I said, Dearest. I have suffered my first ever defeat at _Tycoon_ at the hands of our daughter's boyfriend."

The other end of the line was quiet once again, before an explosive amount of cursing could be heard in Old Mistrali. "Dammit! He _won?!_ I could have gotten so much money from Willow if I had known he was that good! I would have been able to brag for _months_ that my future son-in-law defeated the great Iskander, King of Tycoon!"

Nike Nikos was unrepentantly competitive, even over the simplest of things. Especially with her friends.

And Willow Schnee was one of her best friends.

"Well dear, neither of you expected him to win, yes? That means that even if neither of you won, at least you didn't _lose._ " Iskander hoped this would calm her down, she hated losing more than anything.

His endearing nickname for her was based on more than just her combat skills.

"That's true. Speaking of winning, I hope you didn't frighten the boy too badly during the game. We don't need him frightened off now that we've finally found a suitable young man for Pyrrha!"

Iskander valiantly repressed the urge to shudder at the memory of those cold, impassive eyes staring into his soul.

He shuddered. "O-of course not! When he left just a few moments ago, he was all bright cheer and smiles! Besides, the speech with the bees was only for if we were losing a daughter. Instead, we are gaining a son! We are planning to go to Beacon shortly. I'd like to see Pyrrha and meet the rest of her team."

"Great!" Nike's voice was all sweetness and soft rain again as she proclaimed, "When you get there, take Pyrrha aside and tell her I said, 'Just do it'. She'll know what that means."

He was no mind reader, but Iskander could guess. "I assume it has something to do with grandbabies?"

Nike let out a girlish squeal as she began to wax poetic about her daughter's future children. "Oh, my Oum, can you imagine Iskander?! Our daughter's gorgeous hair paired with his eyes and adorable smile!? Willow will be so jealous, she'll be driven to drink!"

' _You mean drink_ more…' Iskander thought.

Nike and Willow's relationship had an… _interesting_ dynamic.

Iskander leaned the scroll away from his mouth to take a covert sight of relief. It seemed that this once, his wife's excitement for grandchildren meant that he was off the hook for desserts.

He was going to have to get Jaune something nice.

"Well, my Goddess, I have to go. Don't want to keep Jaune or our daughter waiting."

"That's true, they have grandbabies to make!" Nike giggled, voice taking on a dreamy quality as she envisioned her future grandchildren and all the ways she would spoil them. They would have the _best_ training!

Just as Iskander was preparing to hang up though, his wife had one last message.

"Iskander?"

"Yes, Dear?"

He began to sweat. He could already hear the ominous buzzing on the other end of the line, followed by the ominous _wa-chhhh_ crack of a whip. "I know you ate too much dessert at lunch. I can hear it in your voice. Be ready to run the obstacle course when you get home."

Iskander sighed. Today was truly a day of defeat. "Yes, Dear…"


	20. Chapter 20

The mountain shook like a snowglobe in the hands of a small child.

It could feel them….the bright, warm lights of all those souls. They called to it.

So much delicious grief.

So much tantalizing despair.

Begging to be ended.

With a mighty roar that shattered the mountain it had been sleeping inside, the Grimm dragon took to the sky for the first time in centuries, drawn to all the nearby negativity that lit up its senses like a beacon in the night.

As it flew, it began to get impressions of the area around it. Many things had changed according to its ancient memory. There were structures and people in more places than before.

None of these things were as it remembered. The world had changed according to its ancient mind, but not everything was lost. Some things were still the same.

The all-consuming need to destroy the light of souls was one. The drive to snuff out the light, to feast on the delectable negativity of the lights until the world was returned to darkness and silence.

And it's name.

While it did not have anything like agency, the need to destroy the lights taking all of its will, it did remember having a name once, shaken loose by the countless centuries of sleep and death.

It called itself **Cumbersmaug**.

And it was hungry.

 **XXX**

Pyrrha was having a great day.

Most of the cocoa plants had been recovered, meaning that soon chocolate would be flowing through Vale. Cinder had been exposed as the evil, conniving, deluded harlot that she was. Most importantly though, Jaune had just sent her a text. He was on his way back from the lunch she had arranged with her father.

It had gone well. He was even bringing her a surprise!

'I hope the surprise is brownies, then this really will be the best day ever!' Pyrrha practically skipped down the hall doing a fair, unintentional impression of Nora on a pancake high as she rushed to meet Jaune at the school entrance.

She practically vibrated with excitement, eager to share the news of her latest adventure in person and find out all about how Jaune's meeting with her father went. By coincidence, Pyrrha ended up waiting for Jaune under one of the large oak trees near the entrance to the bullhead docks.

With her excited smile, school uniform, and current location, Pyrrha had unwittingly done her best impression of the eager schoolgirl waiting for her boyfriend cliché. She had become the embodiment of all those romantic cartoons that Blake and Yang loved watching together.

This became even more apparent when Jaune finally came into view, sipping a ginger ale, and talking animatedly to…

"Father?"

Pyrrha had just a moment to despair, 'That's not brownies,' before Jaune and her father noticed her. The duo began to make their way over at a brisk pace, and Pyrrha began to panic, all her previous excitement replaced with nervousness. 'Is my uniform straight? Does my hair look unkempt? Do I look disappointing at all in any way?'

Pyrrha's nerves became more on edge the closer Jaune and her father approached.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest faster than any time she exercised. Today had been going so well! It was perfect! Now the weight of her father's disappointed demeanor and judgmental stare was taking all the happiness and joy away from her perfect day.

'Wait, is he smiling? Like people? I knew this day was too perfect! This is a dream and I will wake up any second now. Although, if this is a dream…'

Pyrrha closed her eyes and focused for a moment, doing her best to recall the finer details from the article about lucid dreaming she had read last week. She slowed her breathing, counted to ten, and slowly opened her eyes.

Her father was still walking toward her.

Jaune wasn't wearing only a lacy, yellow apron.

He had no brownies.

The technique had failed, which logically meant-

'This is all somehow real…'

Pyrrha only had a moment to school the disappointment and confusion from her face, plastering on her best public relations smile before the two men noticed her.

Jaune reached her first, her father trailing behind projecting his usual confident and self-assured image. There were traces of other emotions as well, emotions Pyrrha had rarely seen her father express: Reluctance. Nervousness. Fear.

She was beginning to contemplate the likelihood that she had wound up in an alternate dimension, even as Jaune hugged her, and gave her a deliberate peck on the cheek, before giving her the widest, dorkiest smile she had ever seen.

It was adorable, and enough to stop her from contemplating the fabric of reality. "Jaune! When you said that you had a surprise, I didn't expect this!"

His adorkable smile faded a little, and he broke eye contact, glancing anywhere but at her. Now he was nervous. This was more normal and helped ground her myriad of feelings regarding her father's appearance.

So, when she next spoke, she was much calmer. "I'm sorry, Jaune. I was just...surprised. Did you have a nice lunch?"

He gave her another adorable smile. "I did! It was very nice. The food gave me lots of ideas for new recipes! Enough about that though!" His expression shifted, his gaze sharpened from her adorable partner to her team leader in an instant. "I'm glad you're okay. You and Nora will give me the highlights later, okay?"

In the face of such adorkable authority she could only nod. "Of course, Jaune."

He gave her another adorkable smile, which set her heart to racing, and gave her another reason to lament her father being there.

How was she supposed to resist that adorableness?! There was no way he could be more attractive right now!

'How do I get rid of my father and politely ask Jaune to pin me against this tree and make out with me?'

His authoritative leader streak continued when he gripped her shoulders, turning her to face her father, who seemed to be doing his best to avoid eye contact with her. Suddenly, those parallel world theories seemed much more plausible.

Pyrrha shivered a little as Jaune's breath tickled her ear, his hair brushing against her cheek. It took a moment for the words to register when he whispered to her: "Talk to him…"

For the first time that she could remember, she was reluctant to follow one of her leader's orders. "Jaune, is this really necessary?"

She noticed out of the corner of her eye, that her father seemed just as reluctant to speak to her. What was going on?

Jaune leaned away from her to speak to her still silent father. "Remember, Iskander. You promised…"

She watched the two men stare at each other, doing that strange, non-verbal communication thing that all men seemed capable of. There was a definite tension between the two.

And then she saw something amazing: Her father looked away first.

He sighed deeply, all the air leaving him at once, like a deflated balloon, as he slouched in on himself, avoiding Jaune's gaze.

Pyrrha had to resort to deep breathing, and the meditation exercises that Ren had helped her with to keep control of her semblance. Her emotions were all over the place! On the one hand, watching the two most important men in her life stare at each other like contestants in the arena was nerve-wracking!

And yet…

'I was wrong. Jaune can be more attractive…'

Watching her leader take charge and get an indomitable man like her father to submit to his will was one of the sexiest things she had ever seen! It was taking every ounce of her self-control not to scoop him up, and find a room at one of Vale's nicest hotels!

That Pumpkin Pete's and exercise equipment endorsement money had to be good for something!

The Thirst must be quenched!

Pyrrha was brought out of her lurid plans to spend their weekend in a luxury hotel before they could reach Blake levels of hedonism when her partner spoke up to address them both.

"I'm going to go visit Ruby and the others, see how she's doing. I'm sure you both could use some time to talk…"

He punctuated this statement with another glance toward her father, before giving them both a jaunty wave, and quickly turning to march off to the infirmary in what the training portion of Pyrrha's brain noticed was an excellent tactical retreat.

The rest of her brain was too busy noticing that all that yoga was definitely working. She was going to need some warm oil to go with those hard buns…

Her further plans about booking that hotel suite were cut short once again by an awkward cough from her father. She stamped down on her apology reflex, skin flushing in embarrassment.

"He's quite the remarkable young man, Jaune."

Pyrrha put aside her bewilderment over the fact that Jaune and her father were apparently on a first name basis after meeting each other over lunch for the first time, but it wasn't easy.

Instead she focused on the familiar, easy task of supporting her partner. "Yes, yes he is…"

There was another pause of awkward silence that seemed to stretch on for several moments. She had no idea what to say to her father through text message, let alone when he was standing in front of her!

Where was a convenient giant Grimm when she needed one?

Luckily the silence was broken by the sound of her father clearing his throat. Her eyes snapped to him instinctively, and she braced herself for a new list of where she needed to improve, or the usual cool dismissal.

"I'm sorry…"

'What. I understand those words he just said, but when he puts them in that order, it sounds like an apology! Father doesn't apologize! That's one of the first rules of having a proper business mindset!'

"Jaune helped me understand that I have been a terrible father."

 _'What.'_

"I knew that you didn't have a head for numbers, and lacked the killer instinct and ruthlessness to truly excel in the business world. I was trying to prepare you for dealing with it the best way I could, especially once you started becoming famous…"

 _'What.'_

"My goal was to teach you the attitude you would need, help harden you to deal with an industry that would see you as little more than an exploitable resource. I never wanted you to follow in my footsteps, because I knew how unhappy you would be."

Pyrrha was completely bewildered. Nothing made sense. Hearing her father admit he was wrong, and apologizing was the Grimm handing out flowers and giving away puppies: It went against the natural order of the world.

Of course she was even more startled by the feeling of tears running down her cheeks.

She had just a moment to thank Oum for not wearing makeup that day, when she got yet another surprise.

Her father's strong arms were wrapped around her, like her hoodie blanket cocoon. She felt warm, safe, and slightly damp.

Because he was crying, too.

"I've never wanted you to think that I was not proud of you! You are my daughter, I love you! I've always been proud of you, and I always will be, even if you don't take after me in business!"

She gave a weak chuckle, unable to suppress her surprised laughter. As she rested her head on her father's broad chest, her tears drying on his coat, she felt lighter than she had in years. This had been truly cathartic.

The chocolate was safe, her boyfriend was back, and she had the love and validation from her father that she had wanted for years…

Best. Day. Ever.

Eventually, once all their tears were shed, and their emotions were under control, Pyrrha and her father separated. He gave her a gentle smile, and a kiss on the forehead. "I'd love to stay and meet the rest of your team, dear, but I have to go. Your mother is expecting me…"

"I know. You had too much dessert again."

"How did you-"

"I can smell the baklava on your breath. You had two pieces too many…"

She giggled as her father began to shiver, muttering about bees.

"I'm proud of you. You've done well here in Beacon. You've grown. You have an excellent team, and a truly great partner…"

'Wait, does this mean what I think it means?!'

"I want you to know that I fully approve of your relationship. I believe you've found an excellent young man in Jaune, and I look forward to welcoming him into the family, if you so choose."

Pyrrha could barely breathe. It was so close. The Promised Land...

"Oh, and before I go, I have a message from your mother."

'This is it…!'

"She told me to tell you to 'Just do it'. Said you would understand…"

Pyrrha's gaze sharpened, eyes intent as if she was staring at a gifted opponent in the arena. She gripped her father's biceps, since she was unable to reach his shoulders, and looked up to gaze directly into his eyes. "Father, I need you to be certain. She said those exact words?"

"Y-yes. She did. That was the message, I promise!"

Pyrrha's gaze was suddenly all warmth and happiness. "Thank you, Father! I would walk you back to the airship docks, but I'm afraid I'm about to be tied up with training exercises. I must go."

She finally had it: Complete parental approval of her relationship. It was time. The Thirst would be quenched...

And with a happy wave, and a smile, Pyrrha left, singing to herself. "Yes! Yes! Yes~!"

As Iskander watched his daughter skip back into Beacon, he shuddered. 'Just like her mother…' He took a moment to pray that he was not about to lose his future son-in-law to dehydration, or crippling pelvic injury.

Suddenly, the bees didn't seem so bad…

 **XXX**

Jaune strolled towards the infirmary after a quick stop to raid some of the last of JNPR's private stash, and check in with Ren. Business was going well, Pyrrha was reconciling with her father, and he had just received the message from Yang that Ruby was waking up.

This deserved a celebration.

As Jaune rounded the last corner leading to the infirmary, he noticed something very odd. Professor Port was wheeling the still frozen Cinder toward the Headmaster's private elevator on a hand truck, and apparently giving the frozen woman a lecture.

"Machines to transfer aura? HA! Back in my day, we did transfers the fun way! Aural tantric rituals! Let me tell you, aural healing is quite the lost art! I'm no slouch, though! In fact, I was known for my aural talents in my younger days!"

After he pressed the call button, the professor turned the hand truck, to back it into the elevator, and caught sight of Jaune, who wasn't quite fast enough to hide around the corner again.

"Ah, young Mr. Arc! Here to visit Ms. Rose? And you bought her cookies I see! Excellent! She's been asking for some since she awakened! Now, I must get this young woman down to the transfer machine so that we can remove the stolen aura from her system! Don't worry, Mr. Arc, soon you'll have a teacher for when your powers begin to fully manifest! Ozpin will see to it!"

And with that cryptic message, Port backed up into the elevator to deliver his charge wherever they were going. Jaune got a last look at the still frozen Cinder as the elevator doors closed. Was he imagining things, or was she trying to ask for help?

Jaune decided that repression was the better part of valor, put the issue from his mind. He entered the infirmary to see Ruby sitting up in her bed, with Weiss reading a weapons magazine to her.

Blake was perched in another chair, flipping through a dessert cookbook, and showing Ruby the pictures.

Yang was fluffing her pillows. Aggressively.

They all looked up in surprise as Jaune entered, but it quickly turned to joy.

"Jaune! You've come to see me! And you brought cookies!" Ruby exclaimed, nearly drooling, her eyes following the plastic container as Jaune brought it over to her.

"Yep! Grand-Mère Arc's specialty! The secret Arc family recipe made with three different kinds of chocolate!"

Once the cookies were passed out, with Ruby getting the lion's share, the friends did their best to catch Ruby up on current events.

"Wait, so I have laser beam eyes of death and destruction?! My wish came true!"

Jaune was trying his best to think of a way to steer clear of this topic, but he wasn't having much luck, unfortunately.

Luckily, her team recognized where this was going, and did their best to nip it in the bud.

Yang reached over to pinch her cheeks, and muss her hair, making her hiss in a very Blake-like manner.

Once she was distracted, Weiss began her lecture. "Ruby, you cannot simply go about using this power like it is a toy! It knocked you out earlier! We do not know what your capabilities are! This will obviously require extensive testing, and-!"

Ruby interrupted her with a happy squeal that startled Blake into jumping onto a nearby bookshelf. "Ohmigosh! I can't wait to tell Penny! Now we both have laser death beam eyes! Magic is real!"

As Yang helped her partner down from her bookcase perch, she couldn't resist asking. "What do you mean, Sis? What wish?"

"Don't you guys see?! I am a weapon now! Truly, I have peaked and can go no further! This is the height of my evolution!"

Jaune laughed, even as he heard Weiss scoff. "While I am glad you've finally learned to use that word properly, I would hardly consider suddenly developing a new facet of your semblance grounds for declaring magic to be real! And just because you have it does not mean that you will stop growing as a Huntress!"

Jaune almost dropped his cookie when he heard Yang's response to Weiss's oblivious setup. "Of course she won't stop growing! She drinks milk!"

Ruby glared at her, letting out a petulant whine that reminded everyone of Zwei.

With his big brother instincts activated, Jaune sprang into action. "Ruby, are you trying to activate your death beam eyes?"

"Maybe."

"Ruby, no. No using your laser powers on people that aren't enemies."

"She started it…"

Deciding to head this argument off, Jaune quickly crossed the room, and shoved the cookie he had been saving for himself into Ruby's mouth. Her quiet, happy murmurs meant she was sufficiently distracted.

Unfortunately, her team was not.

"My, my, Vomit Boy! Shoving things into other girls' mouths! Whatever will Pyrrha say~?"

"Yes, really, Jaune! She could have choked!" Though Blake's tone sounded sincere, he could tell the gleam in her eyes was anything but.

Weiss glared as if she were trying to freeze him in place without her semblance. "Dunce!"

'Okay, desperate times call for desperate measures…'

Jaune stopped repressing the odd occurence that he witnessed during his trip to the infirmary. "Oh, did you guys see Professor Port carrying that strawberry stealing demon away on a cart? He was lecturing her the whole time!"

Ruby beamed at him around her half-eaten cookie, giggling like a megalomaniacal puppy. "I still can't believe that my awesome new eye beams did that! I do hope Professor Ozpin can fix it though. I mean, I don't want her to die or anything!"

"I wouldn't worry about it. She seemed to be still aware to me. Just unable to move while Port lectured her. Looked like she was asking for help."

Weiss' Schnee smirk was displayed in full, "Then she is truly suffering. Excellent."

The heiress was still more than a little angry at the fact that Cinder had caused whatever it was that happened to Ruby. She was happy to know that her enemy was suffering for it.

"Yeah, as he was leaving, Port said something about getting me a teacher for when my 'powers fully awaken' or something. Then he left. Weird."

"Maybe it has something to do with the ultimate power to reshape the world Professor Ozpin mentioned when he came to see me an hour ago," Ruby theorized as she gleefully ended her final cookie, "He said something about you and me wielding ultimate powers and being the key in the war against the Grimm. It sounded kinda scary."

"Sounds ominous," Blake decided, "I wonder what it means?"

"Yeah, Weiss-cream! Hearing something like that makes me wonder if Rubes thinking magic is real might not be so far off."

"Honestly, Yang! Magic is not real!"

"Well, yeah, but if it were, you have to admit that glowing death beam eyes with the power to turn the tide against the Grimm sounds like a pretty good example of it."

Jaune could tell by her unamused expression that Weiss was not convinced. "Okay, Weiss, what do you think would be an example of magic that would have you believe?"

The Heiress seemed to debate with herself for a moment, before declaring in an imperious tone. "Birds."

"Uh, I'm not sure if you've noticed, Weiss, but birds already exist. Remember that one Zwei put by Blake's shoes last week?"

"Ugh, don't remind me, Ruby…"

"No, Ruby! What I mean is something truly outlandish, like people being able to turn into birds! It's the craziest, most illogical thing I could think of!"

"You need more imagination. I have books for that." Blake declared.

"Nothing we have to worry about now, that's for sure!" Jaune announced, "We have a history exam to finish studying for! I just got the text from Professor Goodwitch that the dance has been cancelled thanks to everything, so we have a few extra days to cram for our midterms!"

Ruby groaned at that, especially as Weiss retrieved her history book from her bag and looked as though she was about to go into full lecture mode. "Jaune makes an excellent point, Ruby, and you have three classes of missed material to catch up on!"

Ruby groaned in despair, turning to pout as adorably as she could at her partner.

Unfortunately for her, Weiss was immune, "None of that! As a leader you must set an example! And I will not have my leader failing her midterms just because she refused to study!"

"Well that's my cue to leave. I have a project of my own I need to finish adjusting before lunch ends." Blake made a hasty retreat.

Jaune was about to follow her, intent on waiting for Pyrrha in the dorm, when he was distracted by a sudden breeze that gusted into the room. He barely had a moment to register the presence of his partner.

"Hello again, everyone!" his partner declared with her usual polite cheer. With that taken care of, she scooped Jaune up in a traditional bridal carry.

His face felt so hot, he was sure his semblance had subconsciously activated.

"Jaune, your everything is on fire~! He's pretty hot, right, P-Money?"

Huh. Looks like it could activate from sheer embarrassment. He would have to tell Ren so they could add it to his semblance training journal.

"Jaune and I have a mission debriefing and training to do. I'm afraid we'll be tied up for the rest of the day! See you tomorrow!"

Jaune felt the rush of displaced air as Pyrrha carried him out into the hallway, and toward their dorm. Wait, Pyrr-AHHH!"

Team RWY was left to stare blankly at the spot where Pyrrha had made off with her partner.

"Since when does Pyrrha have my semblance?"

"Maybe it's magic~!" Yang carrolled.

Weiss threw a pillow at her face. It did nothing to stifle her laughter.

 **XXX**

The strange happenings of the day were not quite over, however.

In the hallway that the cafeteria was on, Blake was muttering to herself while arranging a group of plushies on a nearby windowsill to look as though they were cuddling.

This was not the only set of plushies though. There were plushies for many of the teams in Beacon, and even a few of the more popular guest teams such as NDGO and SSSN. It was a who's who of up and coming Huntsman teams from across Remnant, in plush form.

Blake hummed softly to herself as she worked, arranging all the poses just so for maximum shipping. The plushie team she was currently arranging in the most embarrassing poses she could think of, complete with props, would surprise many.

The plushies were of Team CRDL.

Once Blake finished her arrangement of CRDL cuddling, cackling to herself while making careful notes in her journal, she smiled at a job well done. 'Soon all my pairings will become canon…all according to keikaku…'

And if she got revenge on a team of bigots for mistreating her friends? That was just tartar on the tuna.

Thoughts of her friends made her think of Velvet. Knowing she would appreciate a good picture, Blake made certain to take several shots of her work, for posterity and criticism.

With a smile on her face and shipping in her heart, Blake made her way to the cafeteria. It was tuna sandwich day, and the line would be short.

She would regret not staying.

Whether it was a gust of wind from the window not being properly shut, or an act of Oum, a domino effect began to take place. One by one, the plushie teams began to fall over into even more compromising positions. Soon enough, the hallway looked like a plushie reenactment of an ancient Mistralian Tantric Aural healing ritual.

Some students leaving lunch early would even take note of a brief glow like Aura surrounding the plushies, though this was met by scoffs and derision by most.

Inanimate objects having aura? Sounds like a fairytale.

 **XXX**

Heat and fire.

Pain.

Darkness.

Warmth.

Positioned perfectly above the target. Taking the shot.

The carefree smile of a blue-eyed blonde as he laughed with his team.

Nestling in a cocoon of warmth and softness.

So. Thirsty.

The world came back into focus slowly. The first thing she noticed was sound, or rather the lack of it. Everything was completely silent. Where ever she was, there were no other people around.

The small rectangle of plexiglass provided the only view of the world beyond. It was dark. She could barely see anything in the dim light provided by a nearby computer monitor. Not for the first time, she wished she had been born a Faunus. Being able to see in the dark would be very helpful right now.

She was in some sort of small, confined space. The metal was cold against her skin. 'A machine? Am I in the hospital? What happened to all the lights? I have to get out of here…'

Pushing against door did nothing. The small space robbed her of leverage, not that it would have done her much good in her weakened state.

The darkness and the confined space were beginning to cause feelings of claustrophobia. Her heart began to pound. It was all she could hear in the quiet of her cold metal prison. 'Out! I have to get out! I need to get...OUT!'

This time as she pushed against the door, her panicked struggles were aided by a brief surge of Aura that enhanced her current meager strength. The screeching sound of tearing metal filled the room as the metal door of her prison was torn from its hinges to land a few feet from her.

She was now free, but the use of aura on her weakened body cost her. She collapsed to the floor, panting and sweating with exertion as though she had just run a marathon.

She laid on the cold floor for what felt like hours, simply too exhausted to move. Everything hurt, and she felt as weak as a newborn. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting provided by the computer monitor and a few other consoles in the room, she could make out more details.

She was in some sort of laboratory judging by all the equipment, and computer consoles. There were far too many switches and buttons for this room not to have some sort of important purpose.

She was still no closer to understanding why she was there, though.

Once she felt strong enough to stand, she decided to explore the large chamber, searching for the exit, or at least a clue that would explain where she was and what she was doing there.

Her legs wobbled like a toddler first learning how to walk. Luckily, the many banks of consoles and other mysterious machines gave her plenty of surfaces to use as support during her exploration.

This proved to be a blessing, because just as she was moving toward what she believed to be an elevator, she nearly fell on her face thanks to a large cord running along the floor.

As she straightened up from her near fall, however, she spotted a hand-truck, its wheels and handles facing toward her, giving her a view of what appeared to be human hair.

'Someone else is trapped here as well? I have to help them! Maybe they can tell me what's going on!'

She made her way forward slowly, until she could touch the cart. Her fingers brushed against the hair of the figure, revealing them to be a woman. No man she knew had hair that long and luxurious. "Are you okay, miss? Do you know where we are? Do you know why we are here? Don't worry, I think I was an exit! I can lead us out of here, where ever that is!"

Her torrent of chatter, brought on by the relief of contact with another person after so long without it, died in her throat when she reached the other side of the hand-truck and got a look at the woman imprisoned there.

Long dark hair. Fair complexion. Dark eyes. Older.

She gasped as the memories came flooding back.

'Please...don't!'

'That slut!'

Feelings of fear from seeing her attacker again were quickly replaced with a near all-consuming berserker fury. Her exhaustion and weakness fell away like a discarded piece of clothing as she beheld the woman that had tried to kill her.

Her attacker's eyes flashed with recognition, and fear. She was bound to the hand-truck by heavy, metal restraints, though she couldn't even speak, despite the fact her mouth was uncovered.

It seemed every part of the woman was immobile except her eyes.

The woman was frozen. Helpless. Just like she had been.

Aided by her fury, her Aura responded much easier this time, flooding her body with energy, and bathing the room in a soft glow. 'Cinder!'

She had no idea where the knowledge came from, but the name felt right. The woman frozen before her, pleading for compassion with her eyes was named Cinder. She would give her the same amount of mercy she had received.

"Round two, bitch!"

Amber's hands filled with hungry flames.

 **XXX**

"I can't believe you managed this on such short notice!" Jaune's look of childlike wonder made Pyrrha giggle. Admittedly, it was a very nice hotel suite, one of the best in town. She had been planning this for months, after all.

The look on Jaune's face as he laid down on the king-sized bed that dominated the room made the expense worth it. 'I'm just glad to be putting all that Pumpkin Pete's lien to good use. This is going to be so much fun!'

Pyrrha's smile as she did her best to saunter over to the bed would have made Blake and Yang proud. "I hope you aren't too tired, Jaune. I wasn't lying when I said I planned for us to be tied up with training today!"

She was startled as Jaune sat up suddenly, nearly crashing into her. "Bathroom!"

"I'm sorry?"

"I just...I need to visit the bathroom really quick! I'll be out in a minute! Also, I'm a bit hungry!"

Um...okay, Jaune. Promise not to take too long, okay? I'm really excited for this training session!"

"I won't be long!" Pyrrha watched him dash into the bathroom, concerned. 'I hope it's not his nausea acting up again. We are rather high up. I hope that doesn't trigger his motion sickness.'

Pyrrha was relieved not to hear any retching sounds over the fan in the bathroom. After a few moments, she heard the sink running, and Jaune's surprised shout. "Pyrrha, this shower is huge! I bet four people could do yoga in here without even touching each other!"

' And people think he's slow on the uptake. I didn't even consider the shower! That's my strategic genius boyfriend!' Pyrrha smiled as she began to revise their workout plan to include some time doing hot yoga. She was still considering the best pose to greet him with when he came out of the bathroom, when Jaune rushed out, heading for the exit.

"Sorry, Pyr! In the mad rush to get here, I forgot a few things! I'm just gonna go down to the lobby and see if the hotel can get me what I need, I'll be back soon, I promise!"

"Yes, I'm sorry we rushed here so suddenly, but-" He changed direction abruptly, almost startling her as he gave Pyrrha a gentle peck on the lips.

"I'll just be a few minutes, yeah? I wouldn't leave if it wasn't important. Why don't you get relax, and get comfortable?"

She gave him a gentle smile as he started back toward the exit. "Okay, Jaune. Hurry back, okay?"

As the door closed, Pyrrha began to reconsider her boyfriend landing strategy. Clearly something was not working. She began to dig through the bag that Nora had helped her pack just for this occasion, when inspiration struck.

She pulled out the nearly transparent lingerie from her bag.

It was perfect: A racy green bra and panty combination that matched her eyes. It had taken hours of shopping to find. It was cut perfectly to enhance and just barely cover her assets.

'This will definitely work better than my armor.' Pyrrha grinned ruefully. All that planning nearly forgotten in her excitement. Now she was glad Jaune had taken some time to go to the lobby.

Once her combat uniform, brought along to convince her friends of the training narrative, was tucked away neatly in her bag she began to consider more options.

Then she saw it.

Tucked away in one of the front pockets of her bag, was one of the Pumpkin Pete's hoodies that she curled up with to keep warm. It was an exact match for Jaune's.

Pyrrha's smiled like Blake at an all you can eat fish buffet. ' _Perfect_!'

 **XXX**

Jaune panicked as he quickmarched himself into the lobby. Weeks of planning had been undone by Pyrrha's excitement. Granted, he appreciated the lengths she had gone to to get them such a nice hotel room.

'I just wish she had given me a few minutes to go back to the dorm and grab my backpack. I don't have any of my supplies.'

Jaune wanted this to be as perfect for the two of them as he could manage. This was a significant milestone in their relationship, and he was not going to screw it up! With his resolve reaffirmed, he marched up to the desk clerk.

The man appeared to be somewhere in his late 40's, making him of an age with his father. This helped relieve a great deal of his anxiety as he arrived at the front counter. A guy this age probably gets questions like this all the time! There is nothing to be embarrassed about!

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Hello, how may I help you, young man?"

"Um, yes! You see, my girlfriend and I had this great weekend getaway planned, and well, I need…" The words caught in his throat. He couldn't even move his lips to mouth the word to the clerk.

' _Come on, dammit, you nerdy wuss! You have seven sisters! Seven! Are you really ready to make that sort of commitment? Do you really think you have a high enough dexterity modifier to chance that roll of the die? No? Then get your shit together, Arc and ask the man if they have-'_

"We actually get this sort of thing from time to time. Not to worry, sir. I believe that we have exactly what you are looking for." The man ducked down under the desk, disappearing from Jaune's view..

He reemerged a few seconds later holding a small, black bag. "One complimentary honeymoon kit, sir. Will you require anything else?"

Jaune took a moment to rummage through the bag. _'Let's see: Condoms, lubricant, handcuffs, two large bottles of electrolyte water, and...batteries?_ '

"Um, uh, I don't think so, but what are the batteries for?"

The clerk's smile was professional, but Jaune could see the amusement in his eyes. "I'm certain you will find out soon, sir. Now, is there anything else?"

"Actually, yes. Since we have the room for the entire weekend, I'd like to order the extra large chocolate fondue and fruit arrangement, please."

The clerk's eyebrows rose, and while his tone remained politely professional, he seemed hesitant to comply with the request. "Sir, you are aware that fruit and chocolate arrangement serves six people, yes?"

Jaune found it odd that after their previous conversation, this gave the clerk pause, but he stared into his eyes, and mustered every ounce of command and authority he possessed as a team leader. "I know what I'm about, sir."

The clerk gave him a nod. "Very well, sir. Would you like that charged to your room, or will you be paying now?"

Without breaking eye contact, Jaune pulled out his wallet, and laid out the lien for the fondue on the counter, plus a generous tip. "I'll wait here for it, and take it back to the room myself. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Very good, sir. I hope your stay is most...pleasant." With that, the clerk turned away from him to continue whatever he had been doing before Jaune showed up.

It only took ten minutes for the order to arrive, tastefully arranged on a wheeled cart. Jaune put his bag on the cart, and wheeled his purchase to the elevator, secure in his knowledge that Pyrrha would be very pleased.

Of course, that train of thought began a downward spiral to the gutter that served to remind him of exactly why he was here and what he would be doing with Pyrrha when he got back to their room.

By the time the elevator arrived back on his floor, Jaune had almost worked himself into a panic attack. Now that this was actually happening, all of the lectures from his parents, and the advice from his sisters seemed to disappear.

Well, everything but all the charts, and diagrams his mom had shown him involving STD's. As a nurse, she had access to some truly scary stuff. Really, it was amazing that he had any nieces or nephews at all.

So, he found himself outside his room, pacing and muttering to himself. "Get a grip, Jaune! You can do this! You already know that you care about each other! Just go in there, take your time, and make this night special!" He ended his little pep talk by slapping his face to psyche himself up.

When he went back to the chocolate cart, his eyes alighted on the massage oil in his bag. 'That's perfect! I'll start with a massage! Those are relaxing! And wholesome! No pressure, I've given massages before!'

With a plan firmly in place, Jaune got out his card key, and opened the door. "Pyrrha, I'm back! And I brought chocolate fondue!"

The sight that greeted him could have been straight out of his most daring, vivid fantasies. Pyrrha lay on her side, clad in little more than a pair of barely there green panties, one of his hoodies, and a smile.

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to appreciate this amazing scene, before Pyrrha pounced, going from prone to executing a perfect combat roll to pop up standing in front of him.

"Hello again!" And with that cheerful greeting, she pulled him and the cart inside, slamming the door behind them.

 **XXX**

"Ahhhh~! Jaune, that was incredible! You always find just the right spots!"

She heard him laugh as he put away the massage oil. Pyrrha felt truly relaxed for the first time in days. In fact, if she relaxed anymore, she was afraid she would fall asleep, and they hadn't even done anything yet!

"Hey, it's what I'm here for! Jaune Arc, boyfriend extraordinaire! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue! I know you love it!"

Pyrrha giggled. "It's true. I do. Now how about we switch places, and I'll see about returning the favor, hmm?" Massages were a great starting point! They were safe, and wholesome! The perfect ice breaker for the evening!

Pyrrha had just retrieved the bottle of oil, and Jaune had just taken off his shirt when things began to go horribly, terribly wrong.

Outside, the sounds of people screaming and panicking began to fill the air. Jaune and Pyrrha turned toward the window and were greeted with a sight straight out of a nightmare.

A giant Grimm dragon.

It let out a roar that shook the windows, and continued flying toward the hotel. Without even thinking about it, Pyrrha ran toward her pack to retrieve her combat armor, thankful now that she had brought it.

She was dressed and ready for combat, weapons secure, in under two minutes. She was glad that Jaune was only a little slower. "Come on, Jaune! We have to hold it off!"

"What are we going to do? As high up as we are, the stairs are gonna take forever, and the elevators are likely locked down!"

"The window!" She ran toward it, pushing the metal around it outward with her semblance. The window nearly fell out of the frame before she hit it, crashing through like a stunt double in the latest Spruce Willis film.

"Oh man, I am so glad my semblance lets me fly!" With the adrenaline pumping through his system, it barely took a moment for his semblance to activate, and Jaune was wreathed in flames, and flying a few inches off of the ground next to Pyrrha just as she got her weapons ready.

"Do you think we can take this thing?" she heard Jaune ask.

Did she? Well, over the last few days she had dealt with crazy stalkers trying to steal her boyfriend, an evil plot to deprive Vale of chocolate, reconciling with her father and getting the approval of her parents to finally date Jaune.

Now, after finally getting the chance to move their relationship to the next level they get interrupted by an Oum damned Grimm attack just as things were getting good? For the first time in her life, Pyrrha let her control of her semblance waver.

Her aura flared, bathing her in a dark, grey miasma. Even her ponytail seemed to be floating behind her, whipping back and forth like a leaf in a hurricane.

Never before had she felt such seething, burning **RAGE**!

Were any of her fans there, they would be shocked to hear the image of the Invincible Girl marred so carelessly by their own idol. Pyrrha Nikos didn't curse, after all. However, in Pyrrha's mind, there could only be one response, one outcome to the battle ahead.

"Come get some, you bitch!"


End file.
